F1 CEO Shares Why Competitors Are Getting Fed Up With Netflix’s ‘Drive To Survive’

F1 CEO On Why Competitors Are Fed Up With Netflix's 'Drive To Survive'

Netflix


  • It appears the Netflix series Drive to Survive has been both a gift and a curse for Formula 1
  • The organization’s CEO revealed why some drivers are getting tired of a show that has provided the sport with a ton of publicity
  • Read more F1 stories here

Based on the deluge of Formula 1 tweets that have flooded my timeline whenever there’s been a race over the past year or so, it’s safe to say the formerly niche sport is having a bit of A Moment after becoming a virtually unavoidable phenomenon.

You can’t talk about the uptick in F1 interest without discussing Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the Netflix series that’s given the competition one hell of a shot in the arm over the course of the four seasons that have hit the platform since the first one debuted back in 2019.

Drive to Survive has provided viewers with a fascinating peek behind the curtain (or, perhaps more aptly, under the hood) courtesy of the crews that have been provided with an all-access pass to document the exhaustive amount of work that goes into preparing for the races that are portrayed in fascinating fashion.

There’s little doubt F1 is pretty thrilled with the amount of buzz and publicity the drama-filled series has helped it garner, but that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone involved feels the same way. Earlier this year, reigning champion Max Verstappen—who was initially painted as a villain and foil to Lewis Hamilton—announced he would no longer allow cameras to follow him after claiming much of the aforementioned drama is manufactured in the editing room.

Plenty of people have speculated it could only be a matter of time until other drivers follow in Verstappen’s footsteps, and based on what Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali had to say in a recent interview, it seems like there’s a fairly good chance that may end up being the case.

According to WTF1, Domenicali sympathized with the competitors who have expressed similar sentiments and acknowledged there’s been some pushback to the approach Netflix has taken while deploying some deceptive tactics that plague the world of “reality” television.

Here’s what he had to say:

“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. If a driver refuses to participate because he is not being presented as he wants, we will talk about it constructively. 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.”

Based on the show’s release schedule, we’ll likely have to wait another year to see which changes—if any—will be enacted, but it seems pretty evident the next season will look a bit different.

Connor Toole avatar and headshot for BroBible
Connor Toole is the Deputy Editor at BroBible. He is a New England native who went to Boston College and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. Frequently described as "freakishly tall," he once used his 6'10" frame to sneak in the NBA Draft and convince people he was a member of the Utah Jazz.