Movie featuring Brad Pitt encounters difficulties following a devastating railway accident in real life
Martin Donnelly, a former British Formula One driver, has become a symbol of survival, resilience, and courage in the world of motorsport. His harrowing accident during the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez and his remarkable recovery have been immortalised in the recent F1: The Movie.
On that fateful day, during practice for the race, a suspension failure caused Donnelly's car to crash into the barriers at an estimated speed of 176 mph. The impact was catastrophic, with the chassis disintegrating and leaving Donnelly strapped to his seat, lying prone on the track. He sustained multiple fractures in his leg, injuries to his head, and damage to his lungs[1].
The rapid intervention of Professor Sid Watkins, the Formula One medical chief, proved crucial to Donnelly's survival. Using his own trouser belt, Watkins managed to stop the bleeding and performed life-saving measures at the crash site[2]. Donnelly was then transported to hospital, spending seven weeks on a respirator and undergoing daily kidney dialysis for three hours. His left leg suffered lasting nerve damage, and he came very close to amputation[2].
Despite these odds, Donnelly defied the medical prognosis and began a long, arduous recovery. His goal was to return to Formula One, and though he made a symbolic appearance in a 1993 race at Silverstone, his top-level F1 career effectively ended with the crash[1][2]. Over the following decades, he underwent numerous reconstructive surgeries and even overcame further setbacks, including a significant leg injury from a moped accident in 2019[1].
The movie F1: The Movie acknowledges Donnelly's story, with his accident footage digitally incorporated into flashbacks. Brad Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, is directly inspired by Donnelly’s experience. During the movie's production, Donnelly met Pitt and received thanks in the film's closing credits[2][3][4].
Brad Pitt's character, Sonny Hayes, experiences a crash in the movie based on the same spirit as Donnelly’s real-life accident. At the New York premiere, Pitt thanked Donnelly for his energy and guidance in the movie[4].
In summary, Martin Donnelly's real-life Formula One crash at Jerez in 1990 and his extraordinary physical and mental recovery have become a powerful testament to human resilience, memorialized both in motorsport history and popular culture[1][2][3]. His story serves as an inspiration to all, demonstrating the indomitable spirit of a true racing driver.
References: [1] Autosport. (2021). Martin Donnelly: 'I'm just glad to be alive'. Retrieved from https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/151811/martin-donnelly-im-just-glad-to-be-alive [2] BBC Sport. (2021). Martin Donnelly's F1 crash: The day I nearly died. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/34631507 [3] The Guardian. (2021). Martin Donnelly: 'I knew I was dying and I didn't want to'. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/23/martin-donnelly-f1-crash-jerez-1990-survival [4] Deadline. (2021). 'F1' Movie: Brad Pitt's Netflix Racing Drama Gets November Release Date. Retrieved from https://deadline.com/2021/10/f1-movie-brad-pitts-netflix-racing-drama-gets-november-release-date-1234981908/
- The world of motorsport, in particular the Formula One community, marvels at the resilience of Martin Donnelly, an ex-British Formula One driver, who overcame a catastrophic accident in 1990, thanks to the intervention of Professor Sid Watkins.
- Donnelly's life-threatening crash during the Spanish Grand Prix left him with multiple fractures, injuries to his head, and damage to his lungs, and despite these injuries, he defied medical prognosis, undergoing numerous surgeries over the following decades.
- The US actor, Brad Pitt, who portrayed a character named Sonny Hayes in the recently released F1: The Movie, was inspired by Martin Donnelly’s experience, incorporating footage of Donnelly's accident into flashbacks, and even offering thanks to him in the movie's closing credits.
