The new feature film starring Brad Pitt, “F1 – The Movie“, uses a real and dramatic Formula 1 event as the foundation to develop the story of fictional driver Sonny Hayes.
Warning: the following text contains major spoilers from “F1 – The Movie“.
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In the film, Hayes’s career is cut short after an accident during a race against Ayrton Senna in 1993. The scene, shown in flashbacks throughout the plot, is inspired by a real accident that occurred in 1990 involving British driver Martin Donnelly and serves as a narrative thread for the character’s journey.
Donnelly was one of Britain’s rising talents at the time, with standout performances in junior categories and a rapid ascent to F1. In 1990, racing for Lotus with a Lamborghini engine, he suffered a terrifying crash during free practice at the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez de la Frontera. The collision, caused by a suspension failure, split his car in half and left him unconscious and ejected onto the track. Donnelly was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, suffered two cardiac arrests, and was even given the last rites.
Despite multiple fractures and the risk of amputation, Donnelly survived after months of recovery and left the hospital on foot—an outcome considered miraculous. His Formula 1 career, however, came to an end. The Briton continued to race in other categories but never returned to the pinnacle of motorsport. Unlike Hayes, who returns to racing decades later, Donnelly’s victory was simply surviving to tell his story.
At the end of the film, the production team specifically thanks Martin Donnelly, confirming the direct inspiration from his real-life experience. This connection between fiction and reality adds an emotional weight to the plot of “F1 – The Movie“, transforming a tragic moment in sports history into a tribute to resilience and survival.
Source: AutoEsporte | Photo: Instagram @f1movie | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
#OTD in 1990 Martin Donnelly was lucky to survive this horrific 140mph crash, he suffered serious head injuries and broken legs. #F1 pic.twitter.com/jML6S5w7tv
— F1 Images (@F1_Images) September 28, 2016
