As F1 Renews With Netflix’s ‘Drive To Survive’ For Seasons 5 And 6, It Must Stop Overdramatization

On Thursday ahead of the inaugural Miami Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced that it had renewed the popular Netflix
NFLX
docuseries Drive To Survive for seasons 5 and 6.

The renewal means that Netflix is filming the current 2022 season and will be on board for 2023. According to Netflix and Formula 1, the series ranks in the Top 10 in 56 countries for the premium streaming service.

The series continues to be produced by James Gay-Rees (Amy, Senna) and Paul Martin (Diego Maradona) for Box to Box Films.

Making the announcement ahead of the Miami Grand Prix was no accident. The popularity of the docuseries has been seen as a large factor in growing the popularity of Liberty Media-owned Formula 1 in the United States. The market has long been one that F1 has wished to break in to, and has now done so. With the U.S. Grand Prix at the Austin, Texas Circuit Of The Americas (COTA) drawing a massive crowd of around 400,000 for the race weekend in 2021, and the huge response for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, the global racing league added a Saturday night street race in Las Vegas for the 2023 schedule.

But Drive To Survive isn’t universally beloved in the paddock and even top executives with Formula 1 have voiced concerns about how the sport is being presented.

The 2021 season, which saw the championship determined with a controversial win by Oracle Red Bull’s Max Verstappen saw the driver not allow access. That continues this season with him driving with #1 on the car. That’s because he sees the series creating overdramatization between not just drivers on opposing teams, but within them.

“For me personally, what I didn’t like and it’s not even about me, it was about (McLaren teammates) Lando [Norris] and Daniel [Ricciardo], who I think are two great guys,” Verstappen said in March. “They’re really nice, first of all, and made it look like Lando was a bit of a d—-, which he isn’t at all,” Verstappen said. “And again, you know, I think … I know Lando and I think many people know Lando as a funny guy, a great guy. He has a great character.

“And actually when you look at that episode, you really think who is this guy? What the hell is going on?”

And while Verstappen may be the most vocal about how the drivers see undue controversy being created by Drive To Survive, it’s gotten the attention of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. At nearly the same time as Verstappen was making his remarks, Domenicali talked to Netflix.

“It is to be understood that the dramatization is part of the path to ignite interest, but in this sense, there are themes that need to be redefined,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“If a driver refuses to participate because he is not being presented as he wants, we will talk about it constructively,” he added. “‘Tell us how you want to be presented and we’ll find a way’.”

“Netflix managers are already meeting with the teams, but we are on the topic of culture and language. If you want to be in touch with the US market, you have to speak that language – we need to adjust.

“But that does not mean upsetting us, of course.”

Between Verstappen, the other drivers, and Domenicali it will be interesting to see if Netflix can continue to drive interest toward the sport without over-dramatizing. Season 4 didn’t exactly land with a resounding applause due to fans souring on the made-up drama. The series plummeted on Rotten Tomatoes this year.

There has been exceptional insight with Season 4. As mentioned, the 2021 season came down to the controversial final race of the season in Abu Dhabi where a late-race crash by Nicolas Natifi brought out the safety car. With cameras on Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff, Red Bull principal Christian Horner, and race director Michael Masi, viewers get an inside look into how Masi allowed lap cars between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the two tied for the lead in points, but no others. It set up a one-lap sprint with Verstappen on fresher tires making his way past Hamilton and thus robbing him of his eighth world championship.

Did having the Netflix camera crew influence Masi’s decision? Maybe. Maybe not. What will be interesting is seeing whether drivers and Formula 1 execs feel that the series is showing the global racing series in its true light with this renewal. We won’t know until Season 5 airs following the conclusion of the 2022 season.