Brad Pitt revealed why he and Tom Cruise pulled out of starring in the acclaimed racing film Ford v Ferrari.

The two Hollywood icons were originally set to star in the film about the legendary 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

However, the project fell through over a simple yet very Tom Cruise-like reason: he wouldn’t be driving enough on screen.

In a recent interview with The National, Pitt explained that both he and Cruise were eager to take the wheel in the film.

Cruise wanted to play Carroll Shelby, the visionary car designer. Brad Pitt aimed for the role of Ken Miles, the daring British driver.

However, Cruise discovered that Shelby’s character wouldn’t be behind the wheel much. This didn’t sit well with the star, known for performing his own high-risk stunts.

“Tom and I, for a while there, were on Ford v Ferrari with Joe [Kosinski] to direct. This was about 10 years before the guys who actually made it — and made it a great movie,” Pitt said.

“What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive. He wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles.

And when Tom Cruise realised that Carroll Shelby would not be driving much in the movie, it didn’t come through”, according to The Hollywood Reporter

The roles eventually went to Christian Bale as Ken Miles and Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby. They were cast under the direction of James Mangold.

Brad Pitt’s revelation gives a new perspective on what might have been a thrilling collaboration.

Pitt, who recently starred in the Formula One drama F1: The Movie, also spoke about the possibility of a sequel.

He admitted he would love to get back behind the wheel but acknowledged the story’s focus would likely remain on the younger character Joshua Pierce, played by Damson Idris.

“Where does Sonny [Pitt’s character] fit in? I’m not sure. Sonny’s probably out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting speed records or something like that,” he said.

Brad Pitt also expressed enthusiasm about potentially working with Cruise again on a follow-up to Cruise’s 1990 NASCAR film Days of Thunder.

“I’d love to,” Pitt said, “but I’m not going to hang my ass off aeroplanes and stuff like that”. This is a nod to Cruise’s famously daring stunts.

As Pitt put it, “F1 is still the focus. It needs to be on Joshua Pierce and the rest of the team fighting for a championship.”

But for now, fans can only imagine what might have been if Cruise had taken the wheel in Ford v Ferrari.