Latest news with #Apex
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
Brad Pitt Takes McLaren F1 Car For Test at Circuit of the Americas
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The McLaren Racing Formula One team had Hollywood star Brad Pitt drive the 2023 MCL60 F1 car in a private test with Lando Norris at the Circuit of the Americas. This comes a few days after the premiere of the F1 movie in New York, which stars Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a veteran driver who makes his way back into the sport to mentor a young driver in an underdog team, played by Damson Idris. While early reviews from critics have been released, fans will have to wait until the movie is released on June 25 (June 27 for North America). Co-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joseph Kosinski, famous for his work on 'Top Gun: Maverick,' a strong emphasis has been placed on ensuring the movie stays true to real-world F1 racing. Related: Damson Idris Reveals Brad Pitt's Key Contribution to 'F1' Movie at Goodwood Members' Meeting Co-producer Lewis Hamilton was entrusted with the task of ensuring F1 portrays the sport in the most realistic way. For the same reason, filming was carried out on actual Grand Prix weekends. The car used in the movie is a Formula 2 car that was designed to replicate an F1 car belonging to a fictional APXGP team. Brad Pitt, star of the upcoming Formula One based movie, Apex, and Joseph Kosinski, director of the upcoming Formula One based movie, Apex, talk on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain... Brad Pitt, star of the upcoming Formula One based movie, Apex, and Joseph Kosinski, director of the upcoming Formula One based movie, Apex, talk on the grid during the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 09, 2023 in Northampton, England. MoreFor Pitt, the F1 fever might have intensified, considering he took an actual F1 car out on the track at Austin's COTA on Thursday. McLaren confirmed that the private test had taken place, but further details were kept under wraps. McLaren even teased Pitt's track outing on X with the caption, "It's a Sonny day in Austin 👀." Also noteworthy were the letters BP on the race overalls that stand for Brad Pitt. Pitt, who was at F1's premiere at Times Square, told Sky Sports F1 about his soft spot for racing movies. He said: "Can you believe they even let us in? It's insane. "Let us in the world. Let us in race weekends. Let us in to embed ourselves into the season. I've just never heard of anything like it. Especially this sport, it's so revered. It's really special. "We just drew from history. A little this, a little that and that we had Lewis Hamilton keep us straight off and running. "I love this movie. I think it wins on so many levels and I love sports movies. I love racing movies, when they work, and I think we're there." George Russell gatecrashing Brad Pitt's interview at the F1 premiere 🍿 — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 17, 2025 Related: Lewis Hamilton and Apple CEO Tim Cook Open Up About 'F1' Movie Collaboration
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
F1 Movie Breaks Boundaries with Apple iPhone Tech For Onboard Cameras
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With less than ten days left until the F1 movie's release, it has come to light that the makers used Apple technology to record onboard footage of the racing action. A report from Wired confirmed that components for the custom camera were borrowed from an iPhone that could record ProRes footage in LOG format, providing maximum flexibility in post-processing. Cinema cameras are too bulky to mount on Formula One cars for filming at high speed, and mounting a GoPro wasn't exactly what F1 cinematographer Claudio Miranda and director Joseph Kosinski were considering. A custom option was the way to move forward, which gave the production team the high-quality cockpit POV they wanted. Apple's engineering team extracted the broadcast module from the F1 car that is designed to record lower-resolution footage for live TV. The device, located behind the driver and by the side of the engine intake, was replaced with a camera with borrowed parts from an iPhone. The team had to ensure that the camera replicated the broadcast module and adhered to a weight limit. The Apex Grand Prix car of fictional driver Sonny Hayes, to be portrayed by Brad Pitt, for the upcoming Formula One based movie Apex, is seen driving on track prior to final practice ahead of... The Apex Grand Prix car of fictional driver Sonny Hayes, to be portrayed by Brad Pitt, for the upcoming Formula One based movie Apex, is seen driving on track prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone Circuit on July 08, 2023 in Northampton, England. MoreThe sensor on the module is most likely powered by an A17 Pro chipset and features the 48-megapixel primary camera from an iPhone 15 Pro. The module was built in a way that could withstand shocks, vibrations, and heat at high speeds. Running on an iPhone battery, the camera lens used an ND filter to limit the amount of light entering the lens. The engineering team ensured the module ran on a custom iOS firmware and recorded videos in ProRes lossless video codec to help filmmakers perform advanced color grading in post. Not only was this feature a huge advantage for the film crew, but also for Apple, since the new firmware helped release two new features on the iPhone 15 Pro. The F1 movie hits theaters on June 25 (June 27 for North America), and fans could receive a high dose of adrenaline-filled action captured on these custom-made onboard cameras. The story is about a veteran F1 driver, played by Brad Pitt, who returns to the sport to mentor an up-and-coming driver, played by Damson Idris. Despite the dramatic story, the producer of F1, Jerry Bruckheimer, stated that high emphasis was given to ensure the movie maintained F1 authenticity. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton served as an executive producer whose role was to ensure the film adhered to F1 realism. Bruckheimer revealed one instance while filming at Silverstone when Hamilton asked Pitt to shift the car into the correct gear to simulate actual Grand Prix conditions. Newsweek Sports reported his comments: "Lewis Hamilton saw a part of it, gave us a critique of how the drivers actually do various things. "The level of specifics that he gave us, like in Silverstone in Turn 3 you're in second gear, and he could hear with his ear we [Brad Pitt] were in third gear. "So it's that kind of thing that he's bringing to the movie, and he said... when he finishes a race, especially like Singapore, where it's very hot, he can barely get out of the car, they lose 10 pounds... and it's not only him, it's all of them. "They're just completely exhausted [and] we're going to show what it takes to be an F1 driver." He added: "Everything that he has brought to this movie, I can't even express our thanks to him and all the folks from F1 who made this all possible. "But the authenticity that he brings, we just can't imagine what goes into what a driver does and what the sport brings to an audience. "Sometimes we don't like to hear some of the things he says, because it costs us more money to fix things, but we're all in, we want to make it great, and he's certainly helping us."
ITV News
2 days ago
- Science
- ITV News
Antarctica's hidden sea life could be used for washing powders and ice creams
ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew is the only journalist on board the British research ship the RRS Sir David Attenborough, as it takes part in an expedition deep within the Antarctic Circle. No other British ship has made the journey this far south, this late in winter, since the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated Endurance voyage, when his ship became trapped in the pack ice and sank in 1915. Diving in Antarctica is not for the faint-hearted. First, you often need to chainsaw through the sea ice, then plunge into the dark frozen water. Divers have special equipment from fleece underlayers to dry suits and lobster claw-shaped gloves which seal to the dry suit - even so, your hands still go numb. They have to be tethered at all times to a team above the ice to make sure they don't lose the hole to get back out. There's also the not inconsiderable risk of wildlife, orcas and leopard seals are the Apex predators in the area. But for the British Antarctic Survey marine biologists at Rothera station in Antarctica, the pain is worth it. They're in a race against time to understand and protect the marine life that can cope with sub-zero temperatures, before it disappears. It's estimated there are 20,000 species on the sea bed of the Southern Ocean. More than half of them haven't even been named. Marine biologists are trying to understand more about these weird and wonderful creatures. From brittle stars to colourful urchins and sea spiders up to two feet in diameter, the diversity on the ocean floor is incredible. But these creatures are at risk from climate change. To simulate the warming of the ocean, scientists have fitted heat pads to the seabed. They warmed areas by just a degree or two. Even with that limited rise in temperature, most of the creatures initially saw a growth spurt and then started to die. That's not just an ecological nightmare; it's also a loss of a potential goldmine of biological expertise. These species may hold the key to everything from new medicines to cold water enzymes for washing powders, and even ingredients to prevent ice cream from crystallising. 'If the Earth warms up, the first places to disappear are the cold ones,' Professor Lloyd Peck told me. 'There's no chance of them coming back. You're losing out on potential pharmaceutical discoveries. But don't forget all the animals people care about, the penguins and birds rely on the diverse ecosystem.' There's another challenge. Iceberg carving, where chunks of land ice break off and fall into the ocean, is a natural phenomenon, but it appears to be happening more regularly as the climate warms. As the bergs scour across the seabed, they kill much of the life below. When this happens infrequently, it can have a positive effect, boosting life in the long run in a similar way to a wildfire on land. The worry is, if we see icebergs carving more regularly, will wildlife still have time to recover? 'A little bit of disturbance is good' According to marine biologist Pati Glaz 'because it makes them stronger and grow back in numbers. [But] because it's more frequent they just don't have the time to grow back.' She does though hold out hope that scientists can meet the challenge in time. 'I think slowly piece by piece every single person can make a difference there's loads of researchers across Antarctica and the world that if work together I think we can do it.' She and the team are certainly willing to go to extremes to try.
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
FIA approves Kyalami's final upgrade design for potential Formula 1 return
Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit has moved a step closer to hosting a Formula 1 Grand Prix after motorsport's governing body, the FIA, approved final design proposals to upgrade the venue to grade 1 status. The grade 1 classification is a prerequisite for any circuit wishing to host a Formula 1 event. Once the planned upgrades are completed and the circuit passes a final inspection, Kyalami would become the only FIA grade 1 circuit on the African continent. At a media briefing on Wednesday, circuit owner Toby Venter and Clive Bowen, founder and director of UK-based Apex Circuit Design, outlined the five-year process that led to FIA approval. Apex, a well-known circuit design firm, also worked on the layout for the Miami Grand Prix. 'This is a defining moment for South African motorsport,' said Venter. 'When we acquired Kyalami in 2014, we made a commitment to restore it, not just as a world-class venue, but as a beacon for motorsport across the African continent. The FIA's acceptance of our grade 1 design is a major step forward in that journey.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Rebel Wilson suffered terrifying on-set accident that nearly left her ‘permanently disfigured'
When it comes to acting, Rebel Wilson goes all in. During a recent interview with Access Hollywood, Wilson detailed the moment her nose got 'split open' while filming her new movie, 'Bride Hard.' Advertisement 'In a fight scene, a gun accidentally got whacked across my face,' Wilson said. 'It was just a freak accident, and my nose got split open, so I left set. It was really my last night of shooting. I was like, 'How unlucky can I be?'' The incident occurred during 'the last fight sequence' on the schedule, and resulted in a 'pool of blood.' 'I was freaking out,' she added. 'They take an ambulance and they have to call a plastic surgeon, because if they didn't, I would have been permanently disfigured. So we got the plastic surgeon, they did all the stitches, and you can't tell now, really, you can't tell.' Wilson isn't the only celebrity who has opened up about a recent on-set mishap. Advertisement 3 Rebel Wilson visits SiriusXM Studios on May 06, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images 3 This image released by Magenta Light Studios shows promotional art for the film 'Bride Hard.' AP Charlize Theron revealed that while filming her latest action-packed project, 'Apex,' she sustained a painful injury after doing some of her own dangerous stunt work —without protective equipment. 'Our crew delivered a really impressive movie, and yours truly did some stunts and action — without a harness, sometimes,' Theron said at Netflix's 2025 upfront presentation earlier this week, according to Entertainment Weekly. 'Don't tell Netflix.' Advertisement 'It's actually a miracle that I'm here today,' she noted. 3 This image released by Magenta Light Studios shows Rebel Wilson, left, and Anna Camp in a scene from 'Bride Hard.' AP The 'Mad Max: Fury Road' actress continued to detail the risks involved while she worked on her physically demanding role. 'Apex only wrapped like a week ago, so I'm fresh off the mountain. I still have some Australian dirt under this pretty manicure, and my cute boot is hiding a fractured toe . . . I can go on and on and on, but I won't.' Advertisement Despite the physical toll, Theron, 49, remained in good spirits as she recovered. 'I can honestly say that shooting 'Apex' was one of the most incredible experiences of my life,' she added.
