What Drive to Survive doesn’t teach you
Don’t get caught up in all the hype of reality TV, let’s get real about motorsports.
Drive to Survive is clearly gaining traction for a sport once touted being ‘out of touch’ but has it gone too far? Since its inception in 2019 there is no doubting the incredible success Drive to Survive has achieved in helping grow the F1 fan base worldwide. The reality TV show has brought the real housewives out to the grand prix stands, diversified its loyal following and opened the world to a sport that was once closed off.
Shrouded in money, personalities, power and politics the sport is driven by endless plotlines that continuously drive the drama stakes throughout each season of the show. Nielsen recently reported Drive to Survive generated 360,000 new fans between the 2021-22 seasons with an incredible 10% growth in the US. The New York Times has gone on to confirm that no other Netflix show has seen growth between seasons 1 and 2, let alone 3 and 4.
Without a doubt the reality series has shown impressive growth to the F1 fan base with other sports like the golf PGA Tour following suit, however have they turned what is a competitive sport into a reality farce? Each episode we see drivers pitted against one another like villains, not competitors. The series also tends to forget F1 leads the world's car manufacturing technologies and at the end of the day there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to becoming an F1 driver. Let’s take a look at where the show falls short and why it’s important to remember these key points when binging on the next season.
Remember drivers are athletes, not villains
At the end of the day, Formula One is a sport with athletes racing fast cars who are competing against one another. Drive to Survive seems to forget these key points and as such has been causing concerns amongst drivers in the paddock and rightfully so.
Max Verstappen was the first driver to refuse to take part in Season 4 after headlines and drama were taken out of context, rivalries were faked and situations were over-hyped both on and off track in previous series. He was not alone as Lando Norris also commented that some comments throughout the show were taken out of context and misused to create drama that didn’t exist.
We must all remember when watching Drive to Survive that F1 is a sport first and foremost. Yes, it is dripping in crazy amounts of money and politics, which obviously will bring some drama but there are many other sports doing the same thing. Think NFL, NBA, UFC, Olympics, the list goes on. Reality TV is very good at taking the comments they want you to hear and making it sound very different to the truth. It’s their job to create drama whether it’s real or not, as the viewer don’t believe everything you see and hear. At the end of the day you are watching athletes compete in a sport to win the next championship.
Did you know F1 innovation drives the technology in your road car?
Drive to Survive is fantastic at showing what happens in the F1 paddock, how the sport works and all the fandangled drama but did you know they are the drivers of innovation in road car technology?
Manufacturers in the sport have improved the aerodynamics, carbon fiber, suspension, transmissions and more in road cars. Touching on carbon fiber developments, the Lotus 88 and McLaren MP4/1 were the first F1 cars to use the material. What makes carbon fiber special is its combination of being light weight and extremely stiff, which during F1 races proved to save lives in high speed crashes. Today, carbon fiber is used in many high performance cars such as the BMW M3/M4 and Lexus LC to more affordable cars such as the Nissan Z. Check out this two part series on Car Expert that breaks down all the improvements F1 has brought to our roads.
Two other incredible ways the F1 has brought technological advancements to the world are through public transport and production line developments. Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit system has implemented sensors and data tools that were developed in F1. Whilst, GlaxoSmithKline has adopted McLaren’s pit stop efficiency to improve production lines without compromising the quality of the products.
Do you know what it takes to become an F1 driver?
From high stakes championships to leading the world's technological advancements, at the end of the day it takes drivers to maneuver these cars around the track. Racing an F1 car is no easy feat when you have an average 6G pushing on your body for roughly 90 minutes. It’s definitely not a sport for the faint of heart, requiring incredible strength, endurance, agility, mental stamina and some killer reaction times.
The drivers come into the seat with years of training, hard work, perseverance and determination to win. What Drive to Survive sometimes neglects to show is what happened in the years prior to drivers landing in the F1 paddock. For many it begins as young as five in go-karts before progressing to categories such as Formula Ford, Formula 3, Formula 2 and then the penultimate, Formula 1. Others may branch off into other categories such as tin tops or IndyCar as much of it doesn’t only depend on talent but that of money.
Coupled with training, drivers are forced to source funding whether it be through family, investors or sponsors. This in itself can be a full-time job as it can be career ending for many drivers if funding is not secured. You could be the world’s best driver but without the financial backing it means nothing.
Drive to Survive sometimes neglects to show the road taken and only focuses on the present drama. Do your research, get onto Google and learn how your favourite F1 driver got to where they are today, the technologies driving the sport and what happens off camera. You might be surprised with what you learn and understand why the stakes are so high for some more than others.
