Brad Pitt just met his match: 72 year old makes F1 debut

The Goodwood Festival of Speed attracts a massive following every year, as a range of cars run up the famous hill.

Formula 1 cars are the showpiece attraction, while a multitude of other cars also set times up the hill.

The F1 movie has just been released, and Brad Pitt's character Sonny Hayes may have just been usurped.

Haas team owner Gene Haas made his Formula 1 debut at the famous event at 72 years old on Friday.

The American drove the VF-23, which competed in the 2023 Formula 1 season and was driven by Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg.

Formula 1's youngest team on the current grid made their debut at the Festival of Speed, and the 72-year-old was joined by Ayao Komatsu, Oliver Bearman, and Esteban Ocon.

Gene Haas was unsure about the event at first

Haas admitted after the run that he was initially apprehensive but particularly enjoyed the older cars at Goodwood in the end.

He said: “When Ayao first asked me about driving here at Goodwood, it seemed like an awful lot of work just for an excursion up a hill.

"I didn’t know about the Festival of Speed beforehand honestly, but it was intriguing to me, and now I understand why so many fans come here. It’s the event to see so many different cars – old and new, not only Formula 1 cars – so it really does offer an opportunity for fans to see cars that they’ve only seen on TV or in the movies.

"I’m liking the cars from the 40’s and 50’s because it’s amazing that those teams were making cars that went 150 mph with the basic tools they had compared to now.”

Haas sits ninth in the Constructors' Championship so far this season, and the team principal, Komatsu, said: “I’ve absolutely loved today. Yesterday I was a bit nervous because everyone told me this course is tricky, so I drove it very slowly.

"Then, when I knew what I was dealing with, this morning I was so relaxed and just enjoyed every second - the process of getting the car to the start line, being inside the car and driving this amazing machinery.

"Doing all that in this amazing setting, the Festival of Speed, is such a privilege. I’m very grateful for the experience.”