Williams rents out wind tunnel for Brad Pitt F1 film, FIA rules out technical gains. Williams rented out its wind tunnel for the upcoming F1 film starring Brad Pitt.

Williams and the F1 film with Brad Pitt: “Payment received for use of wind tunnel” – then the FIA assures no technical advantage

The Williams team has revealed that it received payment for allowing its wind tunnel to be used by the production of the F1 film starring Brad Pitt, set to be released next week. This was confirmed by James Vowles, the team principal, who also explained that it was necessary to prove to the FIA that the team had gained no competitive advantage.

The highly anticipated film features Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a veteran former driver who makes a surprising return to the track. Filming took place during real Formula 1 events, including race weekends at Silverstone, Las Vegas, and Yas Marina, and includes scenes shot directly at the Williams facility in Grove.

The unexpected behind-the-scenes detail about the F1 film
James Vowles told The Times: “They contacted us because they wanted to shoot in an authentic environment, not on a reconstructed set. However, it was complicated for us: we had to suspend our wind tunnel programme for four days.”

The team boss clarified that the payment did not result in profit: “There was a payment, but we didn’t make a profit from it. The goal wasn’t financial – it was to be part of a project that’s important for spreading Formula 1 globally.”

To avoid any suspicion of irregularity, Williams had to provide the FIA with evidence that the model used – a modified version of a Formula 2 car, the APXGP – was significantly different from its official F1 car. The federation approved the usage, on the condition that there were no technical overlaps that could constitute a regulatory advantage.

The British team’s involvement even included a cameo by James Vowles himself in the film. “It’s a historic moment for F1 and I wanted to be part of it,” concluded the team principal.

The film aims to ride the wave of Drive to Survive’s success, bringing F1 to millions of new fans. Meanwhile, it has emerged that Brad Pitt actually drove a McLaren single-seater in the days following the Canadian GP, during a TPC test in Austin, wearing a custom racing suit shown on social media.