NEW SEASON NEW DRAMA
The fifth edition of the Netflix Formula 1 series Drive to Survive premiered on Friday 24th February, just in time to perfectly set us up for the 2023 season.
Sports documentaries can often be a tough sell to audiences outside of that particular fandom, but every now and then, a series transcends the boundaries of a sport’s dedicated fan base…
THE ‘NETFLIX’ EFFECT
Unlike other docuseries, Drive to Survive doesn’t just recap the season. Oh no! Instead the show focuses on a particular driver, team or storyline in each episode. Taking us behind the scenes for all the action and most importantly all the drama. So it’s unsurprising that so many of us have been counting down the days till season 5.
Arguably Formula 1 needed to usher in a new generation of fans to secure the future of the sport. Plus, it’s no secret that Formula 1 couldn’t quite crack the US.
Until Drive to Survive that is…
The series focuses on storytelling which allows viewers to buy into relationships with the drivers on the grid. It’s less about racing and more about the tensions and rivalries that grow. The show takes the drama and excitement of F1 and scales it down to bingeable reality! Pure genius.
The traditional Formula 1 audience no longer dominates. As the impact of modern media has shown how traditional brands can embrace change to usher in a whole new generation of fans. The ‘Netflix’ effect is no joke!
Season 4 of ‘Drive to Survive:
👉Became the most watched Netflix series in 33 countries including the US
👉34% of viewers became F1 fans after viewing
👉53% of US fans said the show played a role in their becoming a fan
So get your popcorn ready!
Will be you joining fans across the world as they tune in for the latest series?
Or did you spend the final weekend of February binge watching already?
But with the hype surrounding the new season, does it live up to expectations? Was the 2022 season covered in the best way possible? Or were there things missing?
5 THINGS MISSING FROM DRIVE TO SURVIVE
It’s season 5 so it’s only right to have a roundup of the 5 missing elements of the latest season.
1. SEB WAS MIA
If you’re anything like me, then you shed some tears at the end of the 2022 season. Perhaps you’re going into the 2023 season still in denial that Seb won’t be on the grid this year! And if you’ve watched the latest season of Drive to Survive then I’m sure you want justice for Seb. (Can we get that trending?) #justiceforseb
One thing that didn’t sit right with me about this latest season, was the lack of Sebastian Vettel content. He deserved his own episode, and you can’t change my mind. Daniel Riccardo had a lovely send off but where was the episode honoring the four time world champion? Where was the proper Seb tribute we all desperately needed? A montage of best bits, highlights of 2022, and perhaps even a sneak peak at the driver’s dinner that Lewis Hamilton organized! Netflix I feel let down.
2. DRAMA IN THE BULL PEN
But it wasn’t just Seb who was missing in action, whilst episode 5 ‘Hot Seat’ highlighted the pressure Perez has been under, it failed to show the drama between the Red Bull team mates. Perez may not have won the driver championship, but he certainly played the team game over the last two seasons. However after Verstappen refused team orders in Sao Paulo it’s safe to say he won’t be winning any team mate awards anytime soon.
Most of the 2022 headlines focused on drama off the track, from Red Bull overspending to internal team struggles at Ferrari. But one headline that failed to make the cut was the Red Bull Boycott. A story which was swept under the carpet by the producers of Drive to Survive.
After Ted Kravitz claimed Lewis was ‘robbed’ of an 8th world championship, Max Verstappen and Red Bull refused to speak to Sky Sports. Granted the boycott didn’t last very long, but it was certainly a talking point. Understandable? Or Childish? I’ll leave that for you to decide.
3. SAFETY AT SUZUKA
Safety may have been sprinkled throughout season 5, but Netflix failed to show Gasly’s near miss with a tractor at Suzuka. Episode 8, ‘Alpha Male’ focused on Yuki Tsunoda, the Japanese driver who will now have to step up his game, as rookie Nyck de Vries joins the AlphaTauri team.
The episode followed Tsunoda during his home Grand Prix weekend, and viewers saw the dangerous onboard footage from the extremely dangerous race. But Netflix failed to show us the mistakes still being made when it comes to driver safety. Yes, we had an episode about pourposing but Gasly’s near-miss with a recovery vehicle on track was no where to be seen.
4. STARS OF 2022
There were many stand out moments of 2022, many of which didn’t feature on our screens. Two stars in particular were missing from the Drive to Survive record book.
Kevin Magnussen, with his first pole position and George Russell winning his first F1 GP win at Sao Paulo.
Why were they not celebrated? And why was there not a whole episode dedicated to Brazil?
5. LACK OF FEMALE REPRESENTATION
But worst of all, we saw a lack of women represented. In ten episodes ‘women spoke for only 1.54% of the season’s run time’. We saw glimpses of women but the overall feeling is that Formula 1 is a ‘man’s world’. And this couldn’t be less true. We have seen more and more incredible women step into the World of F1, such as Lissie Mackintosh (content creator), Naomi Schiff (presenter) and Hannah Schmitz (Red Bull principal strategy engineer) just to name a few. But these women are underwhelmingly portrayed, continuing to present this idea that career in Formula 1 isn’t a viable option for women.
Were you glued to the screen watching Drive to Survive or did you find yourself throwing popcorn at the screen? The 2021 season received a 17% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes but how will this season fair?
Gemma Roper ‘1.54% of the season run time’ https://www.femalesinmotorsport.com/post/drive-to-survive-season-5-lowest-so-far-for-female-representation
Jake Nichol & Rory Mitchell ‘17% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes’ https://racingnews365.com/drive-to-survive-season-5-review