Martin Donnelly returns to F1 cockpit in Adelaide 35 years after near-fatal crash

Former F1 driver Martin Donnelly will drive a Formula 1 car in Adelaide this weekend, seeking closure more than 35 years after a horrific crash at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix that nearly killed him and inspired a scene in the recent F1 movie. The 61-year-old admits to feeling "a certain amount of trepidation" but plans to drive with aggression, marking a profound personal milestone at the circuit he was meant to race at in 1990 but never could.

Why it matters:

This is far more than a simple demonstration run. For Donnelly, it represents a final, defiant chapter in a decades-long physical and mental recovery from a career-ending accident. His return to an F1 cockpit at the specific location tied to his unfinished racing story underscores the powerful, lasting drive of a professional competitor long after their time on the grid has ended.

The details:

• Donnelly's F1 career was catastrophically cut short by a mechanical failure during qualifying at Jerez in 1990, which launched his Lotus into the barriers and left him with life-threatening injuries.
• He will drive a Hesketh 308 at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, a car owned by Northern Irish builder James Hagan, who recognized the deeper significance of having Donnelly drive it in Adelaide.
• A Surreal Hollywood Link: Footage of his real crash was used in the F1 film after Lewis Hamilton, an executive producer, requested his permission. Donnelly later advised Brad Pitt, whose character Sonny Hayes suffers a similar fictional crash.
• Defying Medical Prognosis: Donnelly has openly defied surgeons who told him he would never drive an F1 car again, citing the "stubborn and determined" mind of a racer. He proved them wrong by testing a Jordan at Silverstone in 1993.

The big picture:

Donnelly's journey highlights the indelible mental fortitude required in motorsport. His Adelaide drive is not about recapturing past speed, but about personally bookending a traumatic life event on his own terms. It completes a narrative loop that began with a crash that defined his public story, continued through a grueling recovery and an unexpected brush with Hollywood, and now finds its intended final act—behind the wheel of an F1 car at the track that once symbolized a lost opportunity.