Following the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix and with uncertainty around other events, fans who need their F1 fix will be pleased to know that Netflix ‘Drive to Survive’ series 2, a behind the scenes look at the 2019 Formula 1 season is now out. Featuring amazing access to, drivers, teams and families involved in what is arguably the world’s biggest circus, it really is a must view.
But even if you’re not a die-hard fan of the sport, it’s a great insight into how a top- level race team operates. It looks at the pressures which are on drivers and team principals, how pit lane can be a very cruel beast, and all the time it’s taking the viewer along for the ride as you also seem to emotionally experience the highs and lows of the people concerned.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural ‘Drive to Survive’, this year’s series 2 has much more access to the top teams of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull with amazing in-car vision and intriguing radio conversations between the pit wall and the drivers.
What I find interesting though is the attitude Formula I has to the series, and the fact that F1’s managing director of motorsport and former Mercedes Motorsport boss, Ross Brawn, recently said the docu-series isn’t “hugely profitable”, however it does hold some value despite that.
Speaking at a recent event in Briton and quoted by Motorsport.com, when asked about the first series, Brawn said “I think it was really great to show the fans the other side of F1, because most of the fans have only seen what goes on at the track or the interviews at the track,”
“Suddenly you see behind the scenes, both at the race tracks and at the factories and the bases the teams operate from. I think it gave people a fascinating insight.”
“What we’ve discovered is it’s been very appealing to the non-race fan: in fact it turned them into race fans. Some of the promoters in the past season have said they’ve definitely measured the increase in interest in F1 that has come from the Netflix series.”
“And while Netflix in itself wasn’t for us a hugely profitable venture, in terms of giving greater coverage for F1, it’s been fantastic. And that’s the type of initiative that we’re doing, we’re looking at taking a holistic view of how we can lift F1.”
What …. Financial greed is no longer a priority of Formula 1!!!!!!
Here’s just a brief look at ‘Drive to Survive’ – series 2. Be warned, there is some colorful language.
