Kristina Roberts
Brad Pitt’s new Formula 1 (F1) movie is getting a lot of attention, but there’s one big problem—it makes racing look way more dangerous than it really is today. The movie, which comes out in June, shows fast cars, big crashes, and a fearless attitude toward safety. But in real life, F1 has worked hard for decades to make racing as safe as possible.
The Movie’s Dangerous Idea
The film, starring Brad Pitt as a retired racer named Sonny Hayes, focuses on a team trying to make a comeback. But instead of just showing the excitement of racing, the trailers make it seem like drivers don’t care about safety. In one scene, Pitt’s character says, “Who said anything about safe?” as if ignoring danger is normal in F1.
Another moment shows a team owner asking, “How do you think I feel if you die on the track?” The trailers also include crashes with cars flipping and catching fire, making it seem like death is always just a mistake away. But that’s not how modern F1 works.
Real F1 Racing Is Much Safer Now
In real F1, safety is the top priority. A great example is Romain Grosjean’s scary crash in 2020. His car split in half and burst into flames, but thanks to strong safety features like the halo (a protective bar over the driver’s head), he survived. After the crash, F1 investigated immediately to make sure nothing like that would happen again.
Other drivers were shocked by the crash. Lewis Hamilton said, “It was such a shocking image to see… I’m grateful the halo worked. I’m grateful the barrier didn’t slice his head off or something like that. It could have been so much worse.”
Sebastian Vettel admitted, “I haven’t looked at the images a lot because I didn’t really want to.”
George Russell, a driver and safety advocate, added, “Had the halo not been there, I’m sure it would have been an incredibly different outcome. The way he walked away anyway was incredible.”
How F1 Became Safer Over Time
F1 wasn’t always this safe. In the past, crashes were much deadlier. One of the biggest changes came because of a driver named Jackie Stewart. After a terrible crash in 1966 where he was trapped in his car, covered in fuel, he fought for better safety rules. Because of him, F1 improved barriers, medical help, and car designs.
Some older drivers, like Jacky Ickx, believed danger was part of racing. But even he didn’t want unnecessary risks. In 1969, he protested a dangerous race rule by walking slowly to his car and carefully putting on his seatbelt—and still won the race!
Even back in the 1950s, drivers talked about fear. Alfonso de Portago once wrote, “When I have actually lost control of the car, there is absolutely nothing I can do except sit still, frozen with fear, and wait for events to take their natural course… Sometimes, when a friend is killed, you swear that you will never race again. The next day, you think, ‘this could never happen to me.’”
Why the Movie Gets It Wrong
Modern F1 drivers know the risks, but they don’t ignore safety. The sport has changed a lot, with stronger cars, better helmets, and strict rules to protect drivers. But movies often make things more dramatic to excite audiences.
Brad Pitt’s film might be thrilling, but it doesn’t show how seriously F1 takes safety today. Real drivers respect the dangers and work hard to prevent accidents—they don’t act like crashing is no big deal.
Movies love action and danger, but real F1 is about speed and safety. While Brad Pitt’s film will probably be exciting, it misses the real story—how racing has become much safer thanks to years of hard work.
Fans of the sport know that today’s drivers are brave, but they’re not reckless. And that’s something Hollywood should remember.
