Formula 1 Teams react to 'Drive to Survive' inaccuracies
Mar.1 - Formula 1 teams may need to wise up about how Netflix puts together the sport's official series Drive To Survive.
With Max Verstappen returning to the newly-released season 5 following his boycott, it was hoped the new season would please some of F1's more critical 'purist' fans.
Esteban Ocon, however, broke that illusion when he said Drive To Survive continues to "reflect reality" in a "strange way".
"I found it strange when I finished P8 in France and I said 'this felt like a win today'. I never said that!
"I think I probably said it when we finished fifth in Austria or fourth in Japan, but not when I finished eighth in France."
And it's that sort of inaccuracy, or altered storyline, that hurts the series' reputation.
Esteban Ocon
"I think we have to be careful with these kinds of details," agrees Alpine F1 team boss Otmar Szafnauer.
"We do have the opportunity to check the episodes before the final version," he is quoted by Ekstra Bladet newspaper, "so we probably just have to be better at telling them that it was never said."
A big star of the Netflix series is Gunther Steiner, but the exuberant Haas boss has revealed that he doesn't actually watch the finished product.
Kevin Magnussen feels the same.
"I have actually never seen it, but I hear that it is good," the Dane smiled.
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Inaccuracies indeed hurt reputation.
Drive to survive's purpose isn't to educate the viewers, but to chum the emotions of partisan fan-actics. It's nothing more than a soap opera.
I guess it’s the money that’s good.
It is all of that, the good the bad and the inaccuracies. One thing that it has done is bring viewership to an all time high which in turns translate to $$$$$ for the sport. The US is always criticized for being tacky, less sophisticated than their European counterparts, but what the US does is spend money, lots of money and that makes F1 and the FIA happy campers. Sorry purists.
Glad you're back, Susan, and spot on as usual. Let's add that Drive to Survive is just one more reality tv show that drive the US tube market. I prefer the hotwives of anywhere series.
It is a case of swings and roundabouts.
In the past, some teams have expressed their displeasure with how they were portrayed in the series. For example, in the first season, Haas F1 Team criticized the way they were depicted as a "rich American team," rather than a serious racing organization. Mercedes was unhappy with the way their rivalry with Ferrari was portrayed, Toto Wolff called it "far from reality." Similarly, Renault took issue with how they were portrayed one season, with Cyril Abiteboul stating that the show "does not reflect the true nature of our sport and the competition."
However, other teams have praised the series for bringing more attention to the sport and helping to attract new fans. Christian Horner once stated that "Drive to Survive" has been "a huge success" for Formula 1, and McLaren's Zak Brown called the show "fantastic for the sport."
So, while there have been some criticisms from teams about the accuracy of "Drive to Survive", many also recognize the positive impact the series has had on the popularity and visibility of Formula 1 especially, in America.
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