Bad crash in Camel-Lotus: Brad Pitt is Martin Donnelly in the "F1" movie
(Motorsport-Total.com) - In about one and a half months, the eagerly awaited Formula 1 blockbuster "F1" will celebrate its world premiere: On June 25, the film by producer Jerry Bruckheimer will be released in international cinemas.
Initial details about the plot have long since leaked out , not least due to the fact that much of the filming took place on Grand Prix weekends in private. However, fans have already gotten a vague idea of what to expect from the first trailers and the film descriptions from the distributing studios.
However, one detail has probably only caught the eye of die-hard Formula 1 fans: In the latest trailer for the film, there is a short sequence that serves as a flashback in the career of main protagonist Sonny Hayes, played by Hollywood star Brad Pitt:
The American can be seen not only wearing a retro-style yellow jumpsuit, but also leaning into the cockpit of a Lotus 102. To this day, many Formula 1 fans associate the car's iconic yellow and blue camel livery with one of the worst accidents in the history of the premier class.
During qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez in 1990, Lotus driver Martin Donnelly had a serious accident: the Northern Irishman crashed his car into the barriers at high speed, causing the car to break into several pieces and Donnelly to be thrown out.
An image burned into the memory of many Formula 1 fans: Martin Donnelly was ejected from his Lotus during his horrific accident in the first qualifying session at Jerez in 1990, lying completely exposed on the asphalt, seat and all. Click through more images of the drama now! Photo gallery
The 26-year-old was left lying motionless on the track with severe injuries, and the shocking images went around the world. Miraculously, Donnelly survived the crash, but his Formula 1 career was over.
Hayes achieves what Donnelly failed to doIn the film "F1," the story now apparently takes a new turn, as the screenwriters apparently based Hayes' character on Donnelly! The official description reads: "Sonny Hayes is a Formula 1 driver who raced in the 1990s—but a horrific accident forces him to end his F1 career and compete in other series."
Although Donnelly occasionally participated in car and even motorcycle races after his serious crash – where he sustained another serious injury – he never again competed at such a professional level. It's different for Hayes, the film's character. According to the trailer, he wins the 24 Hours of Daytona, among other things, whereupon his friend and team owner Ruben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem, offers him a comeback in the premier class...
Apparently, Hollywood has the happy ending that Donnelly was denied in real life.
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