It all looks so serene from the in-car camera. Red and white kerbs flicker in and out of shot, the driver's white-gloved hands never leaving the wheel as they calmly make small, precise steering inputs. The smooth, grey track is a constant, soothing blur as walls, trees and catchfencing flash past against a steady blue-sky backdrop.
Then, bang. We are reminded that this sport is violent, that TV pictures are totally deceptive. This guy isn't cruising, he's on the edge of control - and now he has stepped over the line.
Off-line more like. Beyond the width of one F1 car are lumps of shed tyre rubber - 'marbles', as they are known, and for good reason. The white-gloved hands have no time to react as the car's trajectory slews left - and then comes the impact with the wall.
Live on British TV during Sunday teatime, Jacques Villeneuve has just illustrated how tough this game really is. Any viewer watching this will have taken a sharp intake of breath. The force of the crash is shocking.