Movie 'Rush' and the death of Francois Cevert

This is about the movie 'Rush'. I saw half of the movie up till now. At one point there is a scene with the crash of Francois Cevert at Watkins Glen 1973. He was totally decapitated which shocked me quite a lot. I have read many articles of his crash the last years but never an outcome like this...is this fiction? Anyody knows more?

After Ceverts crash I know drivers like Scheckter and Stewart did not tried to help him because (quote) 'he was so clearly death'.

      

In GPL, in the esses there was a guard rail like this



I haven't seen the crash nor the movie, but if a similar guard rail was there in the esses that year, it's possible that his car went under the rail. I'm pretty sure it happened.

Yes his helmet hit the pole of the guardrail . Not exactly the same as Helmut Koinigg or Gerry Birrell for instance, who went straight under the guardrail, but same lethal results unfortunately.

In fact his car didn't go under the guard rail, if you search a bit you can find that it flipped and went over the barrier upside down, not only decapitating cevert but cutting in half his body.   
There is a black and white photo where if you look closely you can see his legs separated from his body, I'm not going to put it here obviously.  

yeah I knew Helmut Koenigg died like that a year later...but Francois...  

thx.

Only footage of the accident I saw was the car rolling along the top of the barrier. Also read in a Bernie Ecclestone  book he said that he was effectively cut in two.

Shame because of another great talent wasted, ive also read, Jackie Stewart told him to take the esses in 3rd but he tried it in 4th, Suggesting he was going too fast.

Wow I didn't know his death had been so violent.   

Well at least he died instantly - Swede Savage, Boley Pittard, Lorenzo Bandini and countless others agonized for days or weeks before they passed away .

On a lighter note, I have not seen Rush. I've only heard bad things about it so I probably won't bother   Can't be as bad as Driven or Michel Vaillant though 

I laughed so hard at Driven, great movie

I thought Rush was great! Better than some of the other attempts at racing movies, But not as good as Grand Prix or Le Mans. I'd Recommend it, Even the Mrs enjoyed it when I dragged her to the Cinema!  

And yes Driven was bloody comical   

Rush is not too bad but indeed cannot compare it to GRAND PRIX. Bit annoying though when you see them using the new nurburging in several shots instead of the old one..also the 'race scenes' are quite ummm pathetic..even saw them doing a scene with hunt vs lauda on a 4 meter wide surface..lol! A well I got it free from a torrent dwl so why not watch it  

Peter Blom wrote:

This is about the movie 'Rush'. I saw half of the movie up till now. At one point there is a scene with the crash of Francois Cevert at Watkins Glen 1973. He was totally decapitated which shocked me quite a lot. I have read many articles of his crash the last years but never an outcome like this...is this fiction? Anyody knows more?

I believe the fatality shown at Watkins Glen in Rush is an amalgam of two fatalities: François Cevert and Helmuth Koinigg (this would explain why the driver is not identified by name) Koinigg crashed in the same area as Cevert in 1974 and was decapitated. In reality, the lower portion of the guardrail gave way, and the top portion stayed in place.  If it was Ron Howard's intent to combine the two fatalities into one, I think he missed an opportunity to put a face and name on the danger of motor racing. I guess he figured Lauda would provide that later. Still, I was not comfortable with the driver who died being unnamed. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?

Although the story was given a Hollywood treatment and lots of things were changed and dramatized or left out I think it is a very decent movie. I admit it was quite funny to see the season consist of 16 races at Cadwell Park and some airfield

The car in the accident is ment to represent a Tyrrell, but the accident scene like you say looks more like Helmuth's, I believe Francois car came to rest upside down, Now you mention it they don't mention which driver it was and yes I suppose they could have. Suppose it's the same with the Nurburgring race, We see a car going off in what seems a practice session and the driver badly injuring his leg, And as far as I'm aware no other accident (Serious that is) occurred that weekend other than Lauda's.

And yes Jukka I recognised several British Tracks (Brands, Donington and Snetterton) The Final round at Fuji was Shot at Donington as I instantly recognised the Grandstand on the right and when the race finishes, Hunt enters the pits and you can clearly tell its donington's pit entrance  

Richard Coxon wrote:

Now you mention it they don't mention which driver it was and yes I suppose they could have.

Engine noise swelled over the TV announcer when he goes to mention the driver's name, then Hunt barfs. If you ask me, it seemed quite deliberate.

Quote :

I haven't seen the crash nor the movie, but if a similar guard rail was there in the esses that year, it's possible that his car went under the rail. I'm pretty sure it happened.

I have seen enough motorbike accidents to be able to tell that if such a thing was near the track, it cuts like a razor   .

All you have to do is look at Robert Kubica accident a few years ago, It ripped through the car like a hot knife through butter.

Ricard Suanya wrote:

There is a black and white photo where if you look closely you can see his legs separated from his body, I'm not going to put it here obviously.  

seen it now for the first time...horrible!   

Just watch the movie Rush, and all I can say is that I was for a great surprise ! Loved it

Antoine de Mautor wrote:

Just watch the movie Rush, and all I can say is that I was for a great surprise ! Loved it

It was by no means perfect, but a great film. I was pleasantly surprised too.

I liked the film grain. The photography is very nice, the hue of colour are wonderfull. 
But don't make the error to watch it with Frank.   

Why? Did Frank not like it?

Quite the opposite, he probably got horny in the dark cinema   

Alberto Ibañez wrote:

Quite the opposite, he probably got horny in the dark cinema   

I can confirm this   

Because he focused on all details with which the director is arranged to interest a large audience. Not enough accurate, the false part of track who don't correspond at the real, relationship between Lauda and Hunt, the list is long...  
Every 5mn, I eared : It's wrongggg.   
He liked the photography, the remake of the accident, and above all, the actor who made Lauda. He found him, very good choosen, with a kind of talk very near of the true Lauda.