Grand touring, the new movie from Sony Pictures, is not exactly an adaptation of the video game of the same name, but a sports drama about the life and career of Jann Mardenborough who, before becoming a racing driver, was a passionate gamer who, when Als, gave him a golden opportunity was offered, he knew he shouldn’t miss it. Find out below how Mardenborough’s journey was to leave the controls of the PlayStation behind and take the wheel of a real racing car in the most demanding and risky competitions.

Born in September 1991, Briton Jann Mardenborough discovered Grand touring when he was just eight years old. It was during Guy Fawkes night that Mardenborough, while he was at the house of some of his parents’ friends and everyone was watching the fireworks of the celebrations, went into the living room and started playing the very first part of GT on a PlayStation One.

“It was the first time I played. I remember driving a pink or purple Mitsubishi 3000GT and running in the Autumn Ring,” the runner recalled in an interview with polygon. “After that day, the next week, when I came back from elementary school, I kept going to his house. They got so fed up that they gave my parents the PlayStation One as a gift Grand touring. That’s where my passion for video games began.

Growing up in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, she was fascinated by Grand touring it only increased with each new title in the franchise. The son of retired soccer player Steve Mardenborough, the future racing driver developed a deep love not only for speed but also for car design and mechanics. “Not many racers are car enthusiasts, but I am a big one gasoline head‘ he assured. “I think cars are the ultimate expression of individualism and freedom.”

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In 2011, Mardenborough took part GT Academya television show – born of the ambitious partnership between Nissan and Sony Interactive Entertainment – that promised to delight the best gamers Grand touring to real racers. The call attracted a large number of applicants from different regions, who only had to be of legal age and in possession of a valid driver’s license.

In the early stages of the program, not only were best times assessed on a virtual racing simulator, but also the candidates’ potential to race on a real track. Then came the phase called “Race Camp” in which the players from Grand touring were put to the test on a real racetrack to determine the winners GT Academy. And in 2011, 19-year-old Jann Mardenborough was one of them after beating tens of thousands of other competitors.

As the youngest winner in the history of GT Academy, Mardenborough took part in the Nissan driver training program. For months he trained professionally to obtain his international racing license and compete in the 24 Hours of Dubai, his first ever endurance race. Others followed that made him a leading figure in the world of motorsport, including Le Mans 2013 where he won a place on the podium.

But in a sport where accidents are a daily occurrence, Mardenborough’s career has sadly been no exception. During a race at Germany’s Nürburgring in 2015, the front of his car lifted off the ground causing him to lose control and fall into a spectator area. Although the runner suffered no serious injuries, the mishap took the life of a fan.

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In the movie Grand touringAccording to director Neill Blomkamp, ​​both the 2013 Le Mans race and the Nurburgring incident are integral parts of the story. “[Aquel accidente] It’s part of my story, so I feel like it would have offended the public if I didn’t mention it,” Mardenborough said in an interview with Sunday Times Drive.

Now, by taking certain creative liberties, the film places this tragic event before the British victory in France. Or in the words of AV clubmakes it a “painful obstacle to overcome in the protagonist’s path to fame,” which might be contentious in the critical eyes of some. However, it was the racing driver who inspired Grand touring defends this decision on the grounds that “it is not a documentary”.

Needless to say, Mardenborough was instrumental in the Sony Pictures film project. He participated in script reviews, where his comments and feedback were welcomed, and he was in constant communication with the director and producers. And as if that wasn’t enough, he also acted as a stunt double for Archie Madekwe – the actor he plays in Grand touring– in all competition scenes. “It has never happened in a biopic,” shared the racing driver polygon. “Until Tom Cruise releases a biopic, this has never happened.”

Grand touring It is currently showing in Mexican cinemas.