Ask an F1 Expert: Can You Crash Your Car on Purpose to Win a Race?

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In the movie “F1: The Race Within,” the struggling racing team APXGP finds itself at a crossroads. Its hot-headed rookie driver, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), lacks experience; its owner, Ruben (Javier Bardem), is nearing his breaking point; and the tech head, Kate (Kerry Condon), can’t seem to create a car that isn’t a dud. The only hope for salvation lies in the hands of the rugged American cowboy, Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt). Hayes infuses APXGP with an unorthodox vigor: Though he may not be quick enough to make it onto the podium, Hayes employs a daring racing technique involving intentional crashes and disruptions to benefit Pearce. These intense scenes are among the film’s most exhilarating, but they left me questioning whether real F1 drivers would willingly hop into those compact cars for the sole purpose of causing accidents.

I hadn’t watched a single Formula One race before, but after watching F1: The Movie, I found myself questioning various aspects, such as if running would truly prepare Brad Pitt for withstanding five times the force of gravity on his neck. I reached out to Chris Medland, a motorsports journalist and broadcaster based in London who’s been covering the sport since 2011 and attends most major F1 races worldwide. He’d been eagerly awaiting the movie due to drivers and the official sport raving about it. “We were led to believe that it was fantastic,” he said, reflecting on himself and fellow media professionals, “so when someone tells you something like that, it’s quite challenging for the movie to live up to those expectations.” Although some scenes depicted Hayes’s unconventional strategies, Medland was more bothered by the one-dimensional characters in the film, as he was familiar with F1 having much more complex and authentic personalities.

How did you find the experience of watching F1: The Movie compared to actual F1 racing? To begin with, the high-octane action and the movie’s blockbuster feel were truly amazing. The soundtrack was exceptional. I could overlook some inaccuracies, understanding the need for creative liberty in a Hollywood production. However, I found some of the characters to be one-dimensional, particularly the portrayal of women. This was most noticeable with Kate (Kerry Condon), the technical director. Her character seemed to rely on male explanations, such as when Sonny Hayes told her how to improve her car, and only then did she manage to create a good one. This was surprising given that she’s supposed to be a brilliant technical director who worked her way up in the sport. The portrayal of women in F1, which aims to highlight their contributions, instead seemed to undermine them, leaving me feeling slightly disheartened. I was hoping for a more empowering depiction.

In the movie, Sonny and Pearce often work together as teammates, but they also compete against each other. How frequently do these two-person teams cooperate versus operating independently?

How often do these pairs collaborate rather than focusing solely on their own tasks?

The answer is that they usually concentrate on their individual goals, even within a team setting. When the car and team performance are strong enough for podium finishes, it becomes evident that they’re two individuals within a team structure, but not necessarily a well-integrated duo. That’s what Pearce is doing: contemplating his future position, planning to prove himself. Better team dynamics between drivers in slower cars can be observed. However, as the competition intensifies, with championships and victories at stake, they tend to diverge, particularly in situations where there are wins or a World Championship on the line. Eventually, their paths will cross again.

Sonny’s driving style can be quite forceful or even disruptive. On several occasions, it appears he intentionally triggers a safety car by causing minor accidents, such as throwing up gravel on the track or slightly bumping other drivers. Is this an acceptable tactic in a real race?
In racing, you’ll often see aggressive drivers. However, if deliberately triggering a safety car is what you’re referring to, that could lead to serious consequences. There was an incident back in 2008 where a driver purposely crashed to bring out a safety car at a crucial moment to help another driver who had just made a pit stop, and then he went on to win the race. This caused quite a stir and was known as “Crashgate.” Two individuals were permanently banned from the sport, but interestingly enough, one of those drivers is now working in the sport again as an advisor. However, it’s important to note that there are aggressive drivers who are more prone to being involved in genuine incidents rather than deliberately causing them for tactical reasons.

How does the use of safety cars benefit drivers in Formula One racing? Safety cars are deployed due to track hazards such as debris or accidents, causing all vehicles to slow down. During this period, the time lost during pit stops is reduced since the cars on the track are not circulating at high speeds. This means that a pit stop taken during a safety-car period could result in fewer seconds being added to a driver’s race time compared to normal conditions. Therefore, drivers can potentially gain positions by making their pit stops during safety car periods, although they never know when these situations will occur. When the safety car is activated, drivers are informed through a display on their steering wheels about the speed or lap time they must maintain to avoid penalties if they exceed it.

In the movie, there’s a significant focus on the tires and their properties. I’d like to discuss the benefits of using soft versus hard tires in a race. Throughout the season, there are six distinct types of slick tires available, with the tire supplier selecting three optimal choices for each track – these become the soft, medium, and hard options. The soft tire provides maximum grip but wears out fastest. On the other hand, the hard tire is more durable but offers less grip compared to the softer one after a single lap. The medium tire, as expected, falls between these two extremes. Racing strategy often involves finding the optimal combination of tires to reach the finish line in the shortest time possible while using at least two different tire compounds during the race. This is one of the racing rules – you can’t use only one type of tire for the entire race.

Here’s a different take:

Sonny from Pitt seems like an old-school jock with a cowboy vibe, while Pearce has high-tech training gear. Instead of fancy equipment, Sonny runs and juggles tennis balls for exercise. The question is if his routine would suffice for the races. Well, Sonny’s still racing, so he must be fit enough for the Daytona race. Drivers claim that the best way to prepare for these races is by driving the cars themselves. You can’t simulate the physical forces in a gym. They might hang weights from their necks and cardio is crucial too. Many drivers run or cycle to ease the strain on their knees. Max Verstappen, one of the most successful drivers in recent years with four back-to-back world championships, isn’t big on training. He just does enough to be fit for driving. However, he enjoys driving other types of cars during his free time, which likely keeps him in shape for racing cars. Some drivers take pride in being the fittest athletes and could potentially complete five races in a day if needed. Certain tracks are tougher on the body than others, and Brad struggles at Silverstone due to its high G-forces on the neck.

So, I’m wondering about the necks of these drivers. Are their necks strong enough to support the helmets?
Actually, it’s more about their heads. Even though your body is connected to the car, your head has a bit more freedom to move so you can look around and steer. The braking force in these cars is amazingly powerful compared to acceleration. They can generate over 5G of deceleration load, which means that when they brake, their heads become five times heavier. That’s why they need strong neck muscles to hold up their head so they can see where they’re going. If you don’t brace yourself for the braking force, your head will just drop straight down and you won’t be able to see anything, which could be dangerous when deciding what to do as you approach a turn. And if you’ve ever seen photos of these drivers in action, you might notice that their neck muscles are incredibly developed – they have necks that seem almost superhuman!

I momentarily pondered if Brad Pitt’s height and build might be a bit too imposing for those cars. After all, they customize the seats to match the driver’s body, and Pitt certainly has a well-built physique for it. However, on the podium with George Russell, there’s no denying that Russell towers over him.

Is there currently any American driver competing in the league? Not at this moment, but we had one until mid-last year named Logan Sargeant. It’s possible that there will be next year, as Cadillac is set to join as a new F1 team and they are considering an American driver named Jack Crawford.

As a movie reviewer looking back on the cinematic portrayal of American racing, I’ve pondered whether there’s an enduring stereotype of American drivers as a homogeneous group, or if it’s simply due to lack of representation. Legends like Mario Andretti and Phil Hill, both world champions hailing from the ’50s and ’60s, have certainly left their mark, but times have changed dramatically since then.

The contemporary racing landscape is vastly different, and I believe American drivers have faced challenges in adapting to this new reality. With Formula One experiencing a surge in popularity in the U.S., including with this particular film, there’s a renewed push for an American presence on the global stage. This seems to have played a role in the rapid promotion of Sargeant, who showed promise but may have benefited from additional development time.

The competitive landscape is undeniably challenging. With all the teams based in Europe and racing culture deeply ingrained there, American drivers must make significant sacrifices if they wish to compete at the highest level. They would need to start considering overseas training as early as age 10 or 11, and relocate to continue honing their skills. This is likely one of the key reasons why it’s been difficult for American drivers to secure a place in Formula One.

In your opinion, did the movie function as an impressive advertisement or promotion for Formula 1? While I agree that some scenes, such as Crashgate, may not be ideal representations of the sport, I believe much of it was realistic and reflective of actual racing events. For someone who watches both the film and a real F1 race, similarities would become apparent. The most recent race, for instance, lacked significant action beyond the initial 20 laps, with few collisions or accidents. The movie, however, featured more conflict – a term often used in it. In actuality, there are numerous races, some of which are uneventful, while others are thrilling, just like any sporting event. As for its commercial aspect, I found it convincingly demonstrated the ubiquitous nature of brands and sponsorships in F1, as seen through examples like drivers wearing certain watches on the podium.

Initially, I had no clue about the intricacies of this sport, yet I was struck by how it brilliantly demonstrated the collective effort involved off-stage. In other words, it’s a testament to the collaborative spirit of a vast team that goes unseen by spectators. As the team manager for Cadillac recently pointed out, “It’s the most team-oriented sport in existence.” While we only witness two drivers competing on the track, the real battle unfolds behind the scenes, where thousands of people are working tirelessly together.

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2025-07-01 22:54