Season 5 of Netflix’s blockbuster docu-series Drive to Survive is set to release on 24th February, just a week before the start of the new season. The show’s release, once again, has fans all over the world excited, and like previous seasons, it is expected to bring in a horde of new fans into the sport.
F1 is one of the most popular sports in the world today. Millions of fans from all over the world follow Grand Prix races throughout the year, and cheer for their favorite driver or team, as they strive for greatness. However, for fans who have been following the sport for more than a decade, this popularity might seem like an unfamiliar sight.
Since its inception in 1950, F1 has tried to make its mark in countries all over the world. European countries warmed up to the sport fairly quickly but it was the American market that was always the most appealing. Over the years, F1 tried to introduce new races in the USA but was unsuccessful in catching the desired number of eyeballs.
In fact, up until very recently, the sport was not popular in America at all!
Also read: 5 Highlights of Netflix’s Drive to Survive Season 4
How F1 became popular in the USA
When F1 returned to the USA in 2012 with the US Grand Prix in Austin, many questioned if it would be a financially viable race. NASCAR was the most popular form of motorsports in the country and the gap in viewership was huge.
Today, we can all agree that the sport has finally taken off in the US and that Lewis Hamilton’s prediction in 2012 has finally come true. The then McLaren driver was adamant that the American crowd would, one day, warm up to F1 only if they saw enough races.
However, it is also true that without Drive to Survive, this growth might not have been possible. In fact, we might not have headed into the 2023 season with three races set to take place in the United States.
What role did Drive to Survive play?
Drive to Survive (DTS) is appealing to viewers for a number of reasons. People in the USA followed NASCAR religiously because of the intense racing action they saw week in and week out. Netflix, meanwhile, decided to provide these fans with unfiltered access into the world of F1- behind the scenes.
A typical season of DTS features 10 episodes that cover the lives of F1 drivers, team principals, and members throughout a complete campaign. This includes incidents and events from on and off the track and what fans found interesting was the drama behind what goes on in the world of racing. It allows fans to view the sport from an entirely different- almost reality TV-like perspective.
For people who have not followed F1 before, watching DTS makes them understand why F1 is considered the pinnacle of motorsport. The drivers and figures within the F1 community accurately sum up the commercial, historical, and cultural significance the sport has on the entire sporting world.
Also read: Fernando Alonso Claims Aston Martin Has More Desire to Win Than Ferrari Ever Had With His Services
How DTS changed F1?
F1 was already a growing sport and might have caught on among the American audience at some point in the future regardless of DTS. However, the release of this Netflix show has certainly accelerated this growth and has brought in both money and viewers to F1.
More and more people from different countries around the world have started following F1 today but no country has seen growth as big as the US. Until 2021, we had just one race taking place in America with the US GP in Austin.
In 2022, this number increased to two with the introduction of the Miami Grand Prix. Now, we head into the 2023 season with not one, not two, but three different races scheduled to take place in the USA. Las Vegas makes a long-awaited return to the F1 calendar and will host the penultimate race of the 2023 season.
