Nürburgring, specifically the Nordschleife course, is considered one of the longest tracks in the world, next to it are Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, and Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. And both tracks are also infamous for racing-related fatalities. Here in the film, it realistically depicts the spectator that was killed due to an accident involving Jann Mardenborough. Nordschleife stays true to being (in)famously called the "Green Hell", as coined by Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart, that left Nürburgring with a track record of numerous racing-related fatalities in the past.
Jann's career in the movie actually mirrors pretty closely to a typical Gran Turismo player's career in the games: he started out from driving a second-hand stock car (that he stole from his father) then moving on to a high performance track car when he drives for GT Academy, where he practices his driving in order to gain a license so he could officially compete in the big leagues. Finally, after he gained a proper FIA license and signs a deal with Nissan, he gets to compete in world-famous racing events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, where he gets to drive a premier Le Mans Prototype car, a top-of-the-line group of cars in each GT game.
The film also reminds that the motorsport business also comes ups and downs, along with the harsh realities of being a racing driver. As a gamer, if you make a mistake, you can start over. As an actual racing driver, the slightest mistake can be very costly, and worst, fatal. Jann learns the hard way following his Nürburgring crash.
