When Steve McQueen Almost Starred in 'Grand Prix' Instead of 'Le Mans
After a series of false dawns in documenting Formula 1 in the cinema, Grand Prix promised to change the game. And, even if the film counted the sport itself among the doubters, it did just that...
GRAND PRIX
Released 1966
Director John Frankenheimer
Studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Stars James Garner, Yves Montand, Brian Bedford, Antonio Sabato
Gross $20.8m (Budget $9m)
In a parallel universe, the iconic Steve McQueen racing film could have been Grand Prix rather than Le Mans. The mercurial actor was at one point attached to John Frankenheimer’s epic, if soapy, spectacular before departing the project for reasons that have never quite been made clear.