TREMAYNE: The brutal crash that inspired Sonny Hayes' character in 'F1 The Movie'

At the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Martin Donnelly crashed into the barrier at an estimated 160mph, throwing him out of his Lotus 102 and leaving him motionless on track. The devastating accident cut short his F1 career and changed his life forever.

Thirty-five years later Donnelly's journey helped inspire the team behind F1 The Movie, with the backstory of Brad Pitt's character Sonny Hayes based on the Northern Irishman's experience. Hall of Fame Journalist David Tremayne remembers the day that changed Donnelly's life...

There is an ugliness to violence. Not what you see in the movies, but the real stuff. When something so far beyond the norm of everyday life happens right in front of you.

We’re all used to seeing cars spin, or even crash, either when we’re watching the TV coverage or spectating at a race. But this real-time stuff, that happens right before you when something really goes wrong, with all of its horror and brutal soundtrack… That’s something else. And it never really leaves you.