Netflix criticised for leaving out Williams team in Drive to Survive

Mar.25 - Claire Williams' husband has slammed Netflix for leaving Williams out of the new season of the Formula 1 documentary series Drive to Survive.

Team driver George Russell was the first to break his silence after the series' release this week, tweeting a photo of himself looking disappointed and frustrated below the caption: "Getting to episode 10 and realising you're not in Drive to Survive".

Indeed, the omission of Russell's sensational stand-in drive for Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain late last season is surprising, with one fan commenting: "You were one of the best stories of the season."

But another big story last year was the sale of the fabled Williams team after five decades in the sport, including the departure from F1 of founder Sir Frank and his daughter Claire.

"It is impossible to hide the level of frustration and upset I feel around the latest season of Netflix's Drive to Survive," former team boss Claire Williams' husband Marc Harris wrote on Instagram.

"It is hard to believe that there was a more important story (other than covid-19) than the sale of one of the most historic, successful and treasured teams the sport has ever seen," he added.

"Over 50 years in the sport, 16 world championships and the legendary team principal Sir Frank Williams and the family leaving a sport that they helped make what it is today, and barely a mention. What a disgrace," said Harris.

"It feels like a total lack of respect to SFW, Claire and the team itself."

Harris insisted it is no excuse for Netflix to argue that insufficient access was granted to the film crew in the crucial moments of last year's team sale.

"It's easy to say there wasn't access granted. No, access wasn't granted to any film crew other than Williams' own to the very private moments when Claire had to tell the team that the family were having to sell and leave the sport they love and breathe for," he said.

"But an abundance of footage was made available by the team and all crews had access at all other times. What a shame it wasn't used."

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