Formula 1: Drive to Survive (Netflix documentation)

[adrianjordan]

My favourite part of the show was when Claire Williams finally arrives in the garage for pre-season testing and Paddy Lowe comes to greet her... you could tell his days were numbered when she blanks him and walks off. Wow the tension was thick in that garage

Just seen that bit. He looked so, so sheepish... "Hello Claire" like a scared schoolboy...

[Wass85]

Lowe has looked sheepish on every video I've seen, like a school boy that's just been told off.

[Zynerji]

The more I watch this show, the more im torn about F1...

Guenther is a terrible leader. Claire doesn't seem to have any specific Vision. Drivers are all assholes. And the constant snide comments to each other are completely toxic.

I'm starting to miss my TV-only surface level understanding of the actual human mechanisms of Formula 1...

[jjn9128]

The more I watch this show, the more im torn about F1...

Guenther is a terrible leader. Claire doesn't seem to have any specific Vision. Drivers are all assholes. And the constant snide comments to each other are completely toxic.

I'm starting to miss my TV-only surface level understanding of the actual human mechanisms of Formula 1...

I'd say don't base your enjoyment of F1 on this show. The whole program is edited to heighten the tensions and create a "story" rather than just present the reality - events are used out of order, quotes are used out of context to create some new story thread. Then there's the overdubbed "commentary" used for exposition dumps. The bigger problem I have is that FOM are trying to use this sort of "create a story" framing in their in-race graphics.

I'm probably not going to watch series 2, too much of series 1 hacked me off. But drivers are all pricks both to teams and each other - just listen to Hamilton's team radio when things aren't going right.

[Zynerji]

The way Guenther degrades Grosjean within the team is disgusting. No creative editing is making that happen.

I'd love to see Grosjean in the Alpha Tauri environment. That would be a huge synergy.

If I had a team to pick to work for, according to this show, it would be McLaren. I feel Zak and his style, I just don't think he has enough help pulling in his direction.

[turbof1]

I had no idea about Albons mums past.

I actually thought that was a disqualifyingly bad part of the series.

Just want to pick up on this (yes I know a little bit retroactively): This will have been done with full consent of both Albon and his mum. Which I think is brave of them, and also the right choice. Because if they did not, chances are tabloids would have picked up on it and made it fully their story. By coming out themselves atleast they made short work of it. And honestly, it does give massive respect to Albon as well, knowing what he as a person went through.

[littlebigcat]

The Mirror reported about it in Dec 2018 after he signed for Toro Rosso and obviously some British tabloid tried to make it a story again when he signed for Red Bull.

[zeph]

I thought they made a compelling human-interest story. Yes, they lay it on way thick, but if it helps revive interest in F1, all good.

Re: the last episode, I now think Hamilton let Gasly have P2, somehow.

[the EDGE]

I thought they made a compelling human-interest story. Yes, they lay it on way thick, but if it helps revive interest in F1, all good.

Re: the last episode, I now think Hamilton let Gasly have P2, somehow.

I find it absolutely bizarre Hamilton couldn't pass Gasley... but I think what your suggesting is a step too far

[the EDGE]

I'd love to see Grosjean in the Alpha Tauri environment. That would be a huge synergy.

Answering to Helmut Marco? I don't think he'd last 5 minutes personally

[Xray]

I thought they made a compelling human-interest story. Yes, they lay it on way thick, but if it helps revive interest in F1, all good.

Re: the last episode, I now think Hamilton let Gasly have P2, somehow.

I find it absolutely bizarre Hamilton couldn't pass Gasley... but I think what your suggesting is a step too far

There is onboard footage with rev's. The Merc did 11.000+ in the section before the straight and on the straight it only reaches 10.500 or so. There were more rev's available IMO... He let it go...

[Zynerji]

I'd love to see Grosjean in the Alpha Tauri environment. That would be a huge synergy.

Answering to Helmut Marco? I don't think he'd last 5 minutes personally

Marko is fine if the driver is producing. When Grosjean is in a team with some emotional intelligence, he is very good. Alpha Tauri is that team, for sure.

[dtro]

The more I watch this show, the more im torn about F1...

Guenther is a terrible leader. Claire doesn't seem to have any specific Vision. Drivers are all assholes. And the constant snide comments to each other are completely toxic.

I'm starting to miss my TV-only surface level understanding of the actual human mechanisms of Formula 1...

It's interesting to me simply because it does prove they are all human. Sometimes the assumptions we make from our surface level understanding- Gunther being eccentric in his management style, Claire being the daughter of a founding father of a team with an immense history and struggling to a. stay true to his legacy b. find a place in a world of AT/RP/Haas being able to buy a year old RB/Merc/Ferrari, at least ostensibly.

I think the fourth episode where Toto compares F1 to warplanning- and goes on to tell his employees (warriors in his eyes) to crush the opposition. F1 had all the politics/warfare/spying/undermining before Drive to Survive. D2S just raised the veil- even if the veil isn't the truest representation, various editing/pacing problems are present, and certain threads are ignored, the impression left is that people working in F1- whether they're journos, drivers, or team principals- they have a vested interest in being better than someone.

[Mr.G]

I agree with you El Scorchio, though someone should take care when they are editing onboard shots, especially since Netflix has access to all of the cameras. In episode one when lights go out in Melbourne we get shots from onboard cameras just in front of steering wheel looking back at the drivers. First is Ricciardo, and the pits are on the wrong side of the track (I think it is a footage from Canada), then Max, again from Canada, then Magnussen from Austria. After Ricciardo retires we get same onboard shot from Grosjean going into last chicane in Canada after which it switches to T-Cam looking backwards and him exiting T6-7 chicane, then again looking at him from in front of steering wheel while he is on start straight in Canada and then outside shot of him passing an Alfa Romeo car on braking at T14, switching to onboard looking at him entering T3 in Canada and then outside shot of him on the exit of T14 in Australia.

And that is just one example of bad editing. I know those watching who are new to F1 probably won't notice it, but it is really getting on my nerves as I am watching it when I know that they are trying to present footage taken 3-4 months apart as the footage from the same race.

Well, if there is better emotion (face expression) in shot from different GP why not? The can make it accurate but boring and that wasn't the idea... It's mostly for people outside F1... For example my wife wasn't interested in tbe GP at all but now after she saw Drive to survive session 1 she is more interested, asking questions like "Is this that person who did that and that in the documentary..." Even sit for a while and watch the GP...

[Ringleheim]

I had vaguely heard of this series last year, and subscribe to Netflix, but never bothered to look into it. It seems like it's sort of "soap opera" for F1, which I'm not particularly interested in.

But now we have a second season and I'm reading some of the comments here. I think I will try out an episode or 2 and see what I think.