There is no doubt that Drive to Survive (DTS) has been a major factor in driving the growth of F1 in recent years. The Netflix docu-series has not only brought new audiences to the sport but has also given midfield and backmarker teams a share of the spotlight. Interestingly, Mercedes and Ferrari opting out of the first season of the show helped to enhance this aspect.
Toto Wolff has previously spoken about why his team did not feature in season 1 of DTS. In a recent appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, the Mercedes team principal once again shed light on those reasons.
“I didn’t want all of my people to be distracted by a camera and then suddenly perform good and perform,” the Austrian said.
The first season of DTS was based on the 2018 season, wherein Mercedes was fighting Ferrari for both world championships. Given the intensity of their tussle, both teams decided to stay away from Netflix’s filming.
Wolff also mentioned that, from a personal standpoint, he did not want to participate in something that would make him abandon his authentic persona. Back in 2018, no one fully understood what DTS would entail. There was already a perception that the series might present a dramatized version of on-track events.
Formula 1: Drive To Survive Season 6… the official trailer
The full series lands on Netflix on Friday 23 February 2024!#F1 @netflix pic.twitter.com/FktCJMMU11
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 20, 2024
This was the case in some of the later episodes, which received a lot of criticism from fans and drivers themselves. Wolff correlated this logic with their primary reasoning for wanting to stay away from the cameras amid their championship battle.
However, both Mercedes and Ferrari eventually changed their stance as teams like Red Bull and Haas started to gain significant popularity. Red Bull, in particular, was the standout team of the first season, with figures like Daniel Ricciardo and Christian Horner gaining a lot of fandom.
The Impact of Drive to Survive on Ricciardo, Horner, and Guenther Steiner
Ricciardo was the star of the show as the first episode of DTS featured him. The Aussie’s charming personality and witty humor struck the right chords for all fans, and he started becoming a very popular face, particularly in the US.
While Ricciardo’s on-track life was in a tumultuous situation with his Red Bull exit and a lack of competitive machinery, he became a darling for Netflix and the fans who started following F1.
Horner, meanwhile, began receiving increased attention for his role as a ruthless team principal behind the scenes. His decision-making, along with his diplomatic yet strict demeanor in balancing Red Bull’s business and sporting interests, was revealed to audiences.
Similarly, Steiner at Haas became another team principal whose popularity skyrocketed. Steiner emerged as a fan-favorite character in the F1 paddock due to his straightforward personality. Despite Haas being in a turbulent state under his leadership, the American-Italian enjoyed his newfound stardom thanks to Netflix and Drive to Survive.
