Formula 1: Drive to Survive

The series was first announced on 24 March 2018, when Formula 1 had officially confirmed that they would be collaborating with Netflix for a ten-episode series. The main goal was to give fans exclusive access into the 2018 World Championship.^[1][2] However, before the series became the worldwide hit that is today it looked quite different. James Gay-Rees the executive producer revealed on the Fast Lane Podcast that the series was meant to focus only on Red Bull Racing,^[3][4] however overtime it eventually covered the entire grid. Sean Bratches was the individual who made this possible by suggesting the inclusion of al 10 teams.^[5] By 24 July 2019, a second season was officially confirmed for 2020 making it a huge turning point for Formula 1 Racing.^[6][7]

One huge part that makes the show successful is the executive producers. James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin at Box-to-Box Films along with showrunner Sophie Todd.^[8] From the start the team realized that showing footage of race cars driving around in circles was not enough.^[9] To create tension, they began recording track footage and layered it with commentary from voices like Martin Brundle, and David Coulthard. By doing this they were able to create an intense and entertaining storytelling for the viewers. Research by Caroline Soble and Mark Lowes suggest that this storytelling approach was quite in fact not accidental. It was all a marketing strategy for attracting a wider range of viewers into watching the how because it helped create a hero vs villain dynamic.^[10] By doing this the show became highly entertaining than being boring by only focusing on the technical aspects of the sport.

However, the making of the series has not always been smooth, During the 2020 season the filming was suspended from March up until July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[11] As time passes the show continues to release new episodes every year that focus on the past racing seasons. In a move that surprised quite many fans, Netflix and Apple decided to collaborate on February 26, 2026. Because Apple will be the U.S broadcast for Formula 1 this year, the two companies decided to swamp content to help reach even more viewers. Now Drive to Survive is available on Apple TV for the first time and in return Netflix will now be able to officially stream a live race, the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix for U.S subscribers.^[12]

Since its release Drive to Survive has received massive recognition for increasing visibly to its fans.^[14] It's widely credited for attracting a new variety of audiences particularly American fans who previously had little exposure to the sport.^[15][16][17] What used to be seen as a secretive exclusive sport has now become mainstream. Researchers Caroline Soble and Mark Lowes suggest that this transformation happened once show directors stopped focusing on the technical aspect of the sport and instead focused on the storytelling.^[10] By focusing on the "natural drama" of the paddock rather than technical data, the series managed to hook a whole new audience for the sport.^[18]

However, not everything is received with praise. While the show is seen as a hit it has also received quite a bit of flashback for being misleading not only to loyal viewers but to the drivers. The main issue being that the production team usually prioritizes drama instead of the actual truth. At times the series would fake commentary, misplace team radios,^{[18][19][20][21]} stage scenes,^[18][22][23] and overdramatize certain crashes and relationships within the paddock.^[19][21][24] Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen has sat out of interviews numerous times because throughout the season he felt as if the show was creating fake rivalries for pure entertainment and sensationalism. He expressed how the show wrongly portrays certain drivers as villains to create a rivalry storytelling.^{[25][26][26][27]} Though after a few conversations and meetings Verstappen participated once again in season 5 when he made a personal agreement with producers to "keep it real".^[28][29][30]

After the massive success Drive to Survive had the sport decided to bring that similar behind the scenes look to its junior categories. In 2020 F1 TV had similarly released a series known as Chasing the Dream that focuses on the 2019 Formula 2 Championship.^[56] This gave fans a view of the younger drivers who were competing for a chance to finally move up to the Formula 1 grid. Since its release the show has covered almost every season beginning from 2019 up until today 2026. The sport has also become very accessible to fans all over the world since the recent seasons were released on YouTube to be streamed freely.^[57][58]

• Chasing the Dream
• 100 Days to Indy