“It was a mistake,” said Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff as he recently admitted that skipping the first season of Netflix’s Drive to Survive was a decision he now regrets. The Mercedes boss’ admission further underscored the influence of the Netflix docu-series on F1 — particularly changing the sport’s perception in the USA and getting an influx of a younger audience globally.
Back in 2019, Wolff explained that their decision was primarily based on Ferrari’s decision to skip the series as well. Around that time, both teams were engaged in a battle for the 2018 world championship [when the first season was shot], and Mercedes believed that allowing Netflix’s crew behind the scenes could serve as an unnecessary distraction.
However, in a recent interview with CNBC, Wolff shared more details about this decision. When asked if he wished he had taken part in season 1, the Austrian revealed that he had discussed the matter with his colleagues over at Ferrari at the time.
“Well, we discussed with my Ferrari colleague back in the day whether we should do it and felt we were racing for the Formula 1 world championship and he said (it’s not that critical). But we realized after a year that it was a mistake not having participated,” Wolff explained.
Mercedes F1 Team CEO Toto Wolff on the business of F1, success in the U.S. and growth outlook
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After the release of the first season in March 2019 — which quickly gained popularity — both Mercedes and Ferrari reconsidered their stance and decided to participate from the second season onwards, realizing the positive exposure the series could provide them.
Drive to Survive had a massive impact on growing the F1 fanbase, especially in regions like the United States, where the sport had been trying to establish itself for a long time. Even for the teams, this has been a big boon from a commercial perspective, with more sponsors knocking on their doors to capitalize on the increased viewership in the US.
As a result, F1 has been able to expand the number of events it hosts in the US with the addition of the Miami and the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Wolff himself acknowledged the show’s success, stating, “Netflix did a fantastic job with the series.”
