Shrewd Bernie Ecclestone Once Insulted American Heart-throb Sylvester Stallone by Bailing Out of a Firm F1 Commitment: “Not With Him”

It is no secret how much of a Formula 1 fan Sylvester Stallone is. The obsession got to the point where he once approached former F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone in 1997 to make a film. Initially, Stallone got a nod from the man himself and spent precious time in the paddocks, researching for the movie. However, there came a time when Ecclestone had to take a hard decision and let Stallone know that it wasn’t going to work.

That wasn’t the first time when the ‘Rocky’ famed star contemplated making a film on F1. Before his sad demise, Brazilian great Ayrton Senna himself approached Sylvester to make a movie about his life. To show his appreciation for the Hollywood superstar, Senna even gifted him his crash helmet. Stallone later sold that helmet in an auction for a small sum.

As for Ecclestone bailing out on him, Kevin Eason wrote in Times, “The plan seemed to be working well and Stallone had become a fixture around the Formula One paddock as he carried out his deep research – or at least as he strode around the paddock a lot with his entourage of burly chums, who all looked like extras from Goodfellas.”

“Trouble was that Sly, as we lovingly came to know him, eventually became such a nuisance that his celebrity appeal waned quite dramatically and it was not long before mechanics did not even look up when he burst into their garages.”

“But Bernie, not a man noted for his artistic temperament, had become distinctly nervous about the whole business and politely told Sly that Formula One was not interested in becoming a film star. Not with him, anyway,” Eason added.

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Stallone eventually did make a movie called Driven in 2001, with motorsports as the main subject. The movie didn’t get good reviews.

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Stallone made the movie on a budget of $72 million. Apart from producing the film, he even wrote the screenplay. As the movie hit the silver screen, it only made $54 million, as per the-numbers.com. It had a score of 14% on Rotten Tomatoes and was rated 33% by the Audience.

In a 2012 interview with GQ, Lewis Hamilton spoke about how F1 could make a return to the US. He talked about having an F1-themed movie that could get the US audience excited about the sport. He, however, did not have the best opinion on Stallone’s 2001 failed project. Hamilton said, “Sylvester Stallone did a racing movie, didn’t he? Not one of his best.”

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Lewis is currently working on an F1-themed project of his own with Brad Pitt. The movie has made quite a buzz among the fans of the sport. Here’s hoping it will do justice to the thrilling sport.