How Much of the Terrifying Crashes in ‘F1’ Were Based on Real-Life Races?
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F1 wouldn’t be a racing movie without some jaw-dropping crashes, courtesy of Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. Hollywood loves fulfilling adrenaline junkies’ need for speed. While some love the extremes, such as the Fast and Furious franchise or the mob flick Baby Driver, others prefer the basics. Compared to its action-fueled counterparts, Formula One appears as a more subdued spectacle, thanks to its closed circuits, protective gear, and stringent safety regulations. But if there’s one thing about Formula One that makes it nerve-wracking, it’s simply the fact that the sport is very fast and extremely dangerous.
Many have translated the severe danger of Formula One to the screen. Rush brought racing legend Niki Lauda’s life to the screen, including his unfortunate 1976 accident at the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring, which left him trapped in an inferno, resulting in a severely burnt forehead and damaged lungs. Senna recounts the tale of famed three-time F1 champion Ayrton Senna, who unfortunately died in a fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola after crashing into a concrete barrier. Although the story of F1 is a work of fiction, the world they are surrounded in is as authentic as it can be, including the death-defying crashes that are portrayed.
Sonny Hayes’ Crash Resembles Martin Donnelly’s Accident at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix
Pitt’s Sonny Hayes is a washed-up, lost cause. In Hayes’s defense, his abrupt retirement from Formula One in the ‘90s was far beyond his control. The aging American racing driver was once the star of the grid, going in for the kill with his bold dives, sharp yet calculative turns, and arguably reckless behavior. Hayes had all the makings of a World Champion — that is, until his crash at the 1993 Spanish Grand Prix. Driving for Lotus, Hayes was attempting to overtake legendary driver Ayrton Senna at Jerez until he suddenly crashed. Not only did Hayes’ body lie broken and unconscious on the race tarmac, but his F1 career is automatically in shambles. Following his recovery, Hayes has become a wandering nomad with little to no money to his name and offers his services as a driver-for-hire.
Hayes’ 1993 Spanish Grand Prix crash resembles the same accident experienced by former F1 driver Martin Donnelly. Instead of 1993, the real-life incident took place at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix. Also driving for Lotus, Donnelly got into a high-speed crash at 160 miles per hour, flinging him out of his car and leaving him motionless on the track. Although Donnelly miraculously survived the impact, the driver sustained serious complications by the time he reached the hospital. Apart from the broken bones, the extent of his injuries required him to be on a respirator for seven weeks, undergo kidney dialysis every day, and his heart stopped twice on the operating table. Donnelly’s experience has not gone unnoticed by Pitt. During the premiere of F1, the actor expressed his gratitude towards Donnelly for “putting his energy and guidance” into the movie production.
Jason Pearce’s Fiery Airborne Accident is Similar to Two Real-Life Crashes
In F1, Hayes isn’t the only one who got into a life-threatening crash. As the first driver for APXGP, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) is doing everything to keep his career in Formula One — even if he’s on the worst team on the grid. When Hayes suddenly shows up in the team garage with nothing but his carry-ons, Pearce simply brushes him off as a has-been who’s lost his spark. But when Hayes proves he has lost his touch behind the wheel, Pearce starts to break a sweat. By the time Hayes and Pearce debut as a pair at Silverstone, the competition between the two heats up. Just when the two almost figured out their team chemistry, things went horribly sideways when APXGP almost achieved their first win at the Italian Grand Prix. Despite being given instructions from Hayes that could secure Pearce a second place, the young driver refused to listen. In an attempt to overtake Max Verstappen, Pearce hits a curb at Curva Alboreto, sending his car into the air and into flames.
Pearce’s crash is similar to two separate, real-life accidents. The first was Formula Three driver Alex Peroni’s crash at the 2019 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The accident came about when his car encountered a raised “sausage” curb at the Parabolica corner, immediately flinging his car and somersaulting before its upside-down landing on a tire wall. Fortunately, despite suffering from fractured vertebrae, Peroni was able to walk away from the scene by himself before medical teams tended to him. The second accident is Romain Grosjean’s fireball crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. Following a brief contact with Daniil Kvyat’s vehicle during the opening lap, Grosjean’s car is sent spearing through a metal barrier at over 190 km/h, resulting in an explosive fireball that left Grosjean stuck in the fiery cockpit for 28 seconds. In a stroke of luck, Grosjean managed to get out of the car and even walked to the medical team by himself. In the aftermath of the incident, Grosjean sustained serious injuries to his hands, similar to what Pearce experienced.
Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton Takes His ‘F1’ Producing Role Seriously
On top of his active racing duties, producer Hamilton strives to create the “most authentic racing movie that’s ever made.” Playing an integral role in the creation of F1, Hamilton worked closely with director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer to ensure that the film closely reflects the intensity and nuance of Formula 1 racing. Whether it’s script meetings with Pitt to giving input on the sound of engines and crash dynamics, Hamilton has been hands-on in translating the reality of the sport onto the big screen and making sure it closely resembles his world, despite it being a fictional story.
One of the film’s standout features is the unprecedented access the team had to real F1 events, even going so far as to film the fictional APXGP on actual race weekends. With Pitt and Idris driving modified F2 cars during actual race events, the film digitally alters them to look like they’re actually on the grid alongside the actual drivers. As far as authenticity goes, Hamilton praises Pitt and Idris for going through not just the physical demands of filming and being on the grid with actual racers, but also the mental challenges that came with the job, which includes the crucial matter of enduring the strong G-forces. Even with all the technicalities, the heart of F1 lies in its story of two underdogs rediscovering what it means to be a winner — a universal message that resonates with both fans of the sport and casual movie-goers.
F1 is now playing in theaters.
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