The McLaren F1 car screamed to life beneath Brad Pitt. Two hundred miles per hour on the Circuit of the Americas. The actor, famous for inhabiting characters, was about to discover something about himself.

Corner after corner, he pushed the car harder. Analyzing telemetry between runs. Studying data points like a monk studies scripture. The engineers watched, offering guidance. "Trust the car," they said. "Let it take you to the edge."

But trust in a Formula 1 car requires courage. And courage requires presence.