Sydney Pollack once said of actor Al Pacino's performance and characterization in this film that Al is "one of the few actors around who can play a seemingly passive, uninteresting man, and make it not boring to watch."
Lead stars Al Pacino and Marthe Keller were involved in a personal relationship around the time and after this film was made and released.
Al Pacino didn't know how to drive a car prior to this film. He had to take driving lessons before he was able to drive in the race car scenes.
Real-life racecar driver José Carlos Pace, billed as Carlos Pace, doubled for Al Pacino in the car racing scenes. Pace was killed in a plane crash in Sao Paulo just after the beginning of the 1977 season. He was 32. This film was dedicated to him.