The film was produced by Edward Lewis and written by Robert Alan Aurthur, with uncredited story contributions by Frankenheimer and rewrites by William Hanley. Frankenheimer described the production as a choice between making a "Grand Hotel type picture" or a "Test Pilot type picture," ultimately choosing the former.
The production was characterized by a competitive race against a rival project led by Steve McQueen and John Sturges titled Day of the Champion. Because the McQueen team held an exclusivity contract with the Nürburgring, Frankenheimer was forced to turn over 27 reels of footage shot at that circuit to Sturges. However, the Grand Prix production maintained a faster schedule, while McQueen’s project faced financial delays, eventually resulting in the 1971 film Le Mans.
To gain authenticity, the production team utilized connections with drivers Dan Gurney, Carroll Shelby, and Phil Hill to navigate a reluctant European racing establishment. While Ferrari was initially concerned the film would be sensationalist, Frankenheimer secured unprecedented access to their production floor after showing management thirty minutes of footage filmed at Monte Carlo.
The plot follows the professional and personal lives of four drivers competing for the World Championship:
Pete Aron (James Garner): An American driver who begins the season with Jordan BRM before being fired and joining the newcomer Yamura Motors.
Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand): A cynical Frenchman and two-time World Champion driving for Ferrari.
Scott Stoddard (Brian Bedford): A British Jordan BRM driver struggling to recover from a severe crash and the legacy of his late brother.
Nino Barlini (Antonio Sabàto): A charismatic rookie and former motorcycle champion serving as Ferrari's number two driver.
The story also focuses on the drivers' relationships with three women: magazine writer Louise Frederickson (Eva Marie Saint), Pat Stoddard (Jessica Walter), and Lisa (Françoise Hardy). The season concludes at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Sarti is killed in a crash. Following Sarti's death, his teammate Barlini is flagged off the course by team leader Agostino Manetta, leaving Aron and Stoddard to duel for the finish. Aron wins the race and the championship, though the victory is overshadowed by Sarti's death.
Photographed in Super Panavision 70 by Lionel Lindon, the film was presented in 70mm Cinerama. It is noted for its unique racing cinematography, which utilized in-car cameras to provide first-person points of view. To capture footage at racing speeds, the crew used a modified Ford GT40 as a camera car. Phil Hill, the 1961 World Champion, drove camera cars—including a Lotus 25 Climax and a McLaren M2B—during actual sessions of the Monaco and Belgian Grands Prix.
Visual consultant Saul Bass designed the film's titles and montages, making extensive use of multiple split screens and checkerboard panels to convey the speed and intensity of the sport. For staged accident sequences, the crew used a specialized cannon-like device to fire gutted car chassis.
The film features numerous cameo appearances by contemporary Formula One drivers, including World Champions Phil Hill, Graham Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, and Jack Brabham. Other drivers appearing include Bruce McLaren, Jo Siffert, and Lorenzo Bandini.
The machinery shown in the film consisted largely of mocked-up Formula Three cars modified to resemble Formula One models. The fictional Yamura Motors team used McLaren M2B cars painted in a white-and-red scheme intended to resemble contemporary Honda RA272 vehicles. On occasions where the McLaren was unavailable, a BRM driven by Bob Bondurant and a Lotus 25 BRM driven by Mike Spence were painted in Yamura colors.
The actors' driving abilities varied. James Garner performed his own stunts, including a scene where his car catches fire, and trained with Bob Bondurant. Conversely, Brian Bedford could not drive; his character’s helmet was designed to match Jackie Stewart’s so that Stewart could perform the driving sequences while wearing a balaclava.
At the 39th Academy Awards, the film was recognized for its technical precision, winning:
Best Sound Effects (Gordon Daniel)
Best Film Editing (Henry Berman, Stewart Linder, Frank Santillo, and Henry Harrison)
Best Sound (Franklin Milton)
The film features several historic circuits, including Monaco, Clermont-Ferrand, Spa-Francorchamps, Zandvoort, Brands Hatch, and Monza. While the Nürburgring, Watkins Glen, and the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez are mentioned, no footage of these tracks appears in the final cut. In 2025, The Hollywood Reporter retrospectively cited the film as having the best stunts of 1967.