Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive introduced the racing format to a whole new generation as the management struggled to capture Gen-Z’s interests. The high-octane docuseries made the sport all the more attractive to new fans and made the names Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton as famous as pop stars.
However, the show has faced several criticisms for over-dramatizing the conflict between the teams. Some racers also criticized the series for showing some teams as protagonists and others as enemies. Despite the show’s impact and popularization, however, the series has reportedly not really affected the race viewership numbers on a huge scale.
All of Formula 1: Drive to Survive’s fans do not cross over to the sport
Since the popularity of Formula 1: Drive to Survive and its pop cultural reach, many other sports have tried to go the DTS route to promote themselves. Be it tennis or rugby, none of them come close to the impact of the Netflix docu-series. Before the series came out, the drama behind the races was not that well-known.
However, one of the dark truths about Drive to Survive’s popularity is that it makes the races more palatable to the non-fans. With interviews, in-depth explorations of the behind-the-scenes, and a dramatic presentation, the series goes beyond just the races and becomes an incredible feat in storytelling.
Maybe that is why not a lot of the fans of the show have translated into the actual sport. It is not that there isn’t drama during the races, but the Netflix series’ cinematic treatment is something else. Executive producer Tom Hutchings mentioned that the fandom of the show is not necessarily fans of the sport. He said to The Guardian,
Fortunately, F1 is full of interesting people – ruthless competitors, decisive characters and a few egos…[As well as F1 experts] it also has a loyal fanbase that isn’t made up of the core F1 fandom. So many of our viewers watch Drive to Survive, but not the F1 races.
The show, however, did incredibly well in the USA in its initial seasons, invigorating the craze for F1 and introducing the sport to new audiences (via Autosport).
F1 authorities addressed concerns with Netflix about over-dramatizing the races
Despite not completely translating fans of the show to the sport, Formula 1: Drive to Survive still gives plenty of drama to fans with its presentation. However, two years ago, the actual stakeholders of F1 reportedly had some issues with the Netflix series’ treatment of the subjects. Apart from the authorities, Max Verstappen himself expressed his disappointment.
However, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali reportedly said that the dramatization was part of the plan to invigorate interest in new fans but if the racers did have concerns they could address them. He said (via Gazzetta),
It is to be understood whether the dramatization of the narrative can be part of a path to ignite interest, in this sense there are themes that need to be redefined. If a driver refuses to participate, because he is not presented as he wants, we talk about it in a constructive way. ‘Tell us how you want to be presented, we will find a way’.
Domenicali also mentioned that it was necessary to speak the language of the culture they were trying to penetrate, which in this case is the USA.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive is available to stream on Netflix.
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