Warning: The following contains spoilers for F1: The Movie.F1: The Moviedirector Joseph Kosinski reveals the two real-life incidents that inspired the most jaw-dropping moment in the movie. Led by Damson Idris and Brad Pitt, the new sports drama sees a washed-up Formula One legend, Sonny Hayes (Pitt), come out of retirement to coach a younger driver, Joshua Pearce (Idris).
While the movie isn’t short on racing accidents, a gripping scene toward the end marks the most dangerous of all.Pearce is involved in an explosive crash, where his car catches fire. He survives the incident with his hands burned. Since the movie’s release, many have suspected the incident inF1was inspired by real-life crashes.
In an interview withGQ, Kosinski confirmed that the gripping scene wasinspired by an unspecified high-speed crash that took place in Formula Three, and Romain Grosjean’s fiery accident in 2020, where the driver was trapped for nearly 30 seconds and survived with only burns on his hands and feet. Read Kosinski’s comments below:
[The crash was] about ten years ago, where a car hit a sausage turn off Parabolica, which is an infamous corner with a lot of accidents over history.
We shot it practically. The rig involved a rail, along which a prop car was launched using compressed air, reaching 110 miles per hour. They only had two takes to get the shot. The first take, it landed 20 feet short. It didn’t make it to the tire wall.
Kosinski further explainedhow they decided to turn up the special effects a notchfor the second take, which almost wasn’t captured on camera. He teased that the behind-the-scenes footage would be included in the home release. Read his comment below:
It’s better to overachieve than underachieve. Go for it. We shot the carwayfurther than we expected. It was supposed to hit the sign and the fencing. As you saw in the movie, it went over, into the woods, and crashed. Luckily, one of my camera operators had the state of mind to actually follow it, and get it.
What This Means For F1: The Movie
Pearce’s Accident Was Shot Practically Rather Than Computer Generated
F1: The Moviehas earned praise for its pulse-pounding action and realism. While Formula One can be an exhilarating sport, it’s also very dangerous due to its high speed, and the movie acknowledges that. Kosinski’s comments reinforce its unpredictable nature and reveal how they recreated some of the most famous incidents in Formula One’s history for the big screen.
From the devastating incident that nearly ended Sonny Hayes' career to Pearce’s flaming moment,the movie is rich in real-life references, with some racing scenes shot in the middle of the F1 season. In addition to the practical approach to filming action scenes,F1: The Moviealso used the edited footage of real-life racer Martin Donnelly’s accident in Hayes' flashbacks.
Our Take On F1: The Movie
F1: The Movie Is An Instant Classic
Realism and thrilling actions are a big part ofF1: The Movie’s success. Even though Kosinski’s movie isn’t a documentary, the film has gained recognition from experts. Since its release, ithasreceived praise from both fans and critics for capturing the essence of the sport, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 83% from the critics and a near-perfect score from the audience.
Kosinski’s comments further detail the lengths they went to during production and the film’s deep roots in real-life events. The commitment to realism has only madeF1: The Moviestronger, and it showshow dedicated the creative team was to doing justiceto the beloved sport.
