You probably know someone who just got into Formula One

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We Interviewed 'Drive to Survive' Fans About Their F1 Obsession

Become into Formula 1 considering of the docuseries? You lot're non solitary.

By Josh Terry March 19, 2022

Formula ane racing has been 1 of the world's about prestigious motorsports circuits for decades, merely information technology's now experiencing a crash-land in popularity thanks to Drive to Survive. The docuseries, which debuted its quaternary season this month, provides fans an in-depth await at the drivers, teams and personalities in the paddock. Only more than importantly, it's developed a new and passionate fan base, especially in America. Since the series' 2019 debut, ESPN'southward ratings averaged 928,000 viewers per race in 2021 compared to 547,000 in 2018.

This flavour covers the 2021 F1 campaign, and we've surveyed several avowed motorsports enthusiasts about how this docuseries feeds their fandom.

These fans are all American, which until recently has been an audition F1 has failed to connect with, simply they come from all parts of the country and came to the sport in dissimilar ways. Before Bulldoze to Survive, well-nigh had no thought what F1 Racing entailed or fifty-fifty knew of drivers like Max Verstappen. Others who were already fans found a deeper connection to the sport through this docuseries. A Gen Z, Lebanese-American journalist based in Southern California who wakes upwardly in the heart of the night to sentry races with her brother; a millennial record label worker in Brooklyn whose friends convinced her to check out the series; an Illinois erstwhile auto worker whose interest in cars led him to F1 and so Drive to Survive; and a Midwestern parent who found the Lord's day morn routine fit perfectly with his infant'due south schedule — these are just a handful of a large swath of people connected by a new or reinvigorated love of F1.

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Fans at the Formula 1 U.s. Grand Prix, last year.

What fabricated you decide to watch Drive to Survive in the first identify? Caitlin A., 24, a announcer based in Orange County: I've always been into sports and I've e'er loved sports documentaries. I knew I might like this, even though I'm not into motorsports at all. Hannah S. C., a Brooklyn-based worker at a record label: I had a few friends who were watching Drive to Survive, and we were on a weekend trip together, and they were like, "Oh, we're all going to get upwards on Dominicus and watch the race." And I was like, "I don't know what you're talking about." I watched i episode and then watched the Silverstone race with my friends. When I went home, I watched the rest of the get-go season in a twenty-four hours.

I was then excited about the bear witness because I wanted a deeper wait at the sport. Before the testify, being an American fan was an extremely lonely, lonely experience.

Ben C., 26, a government employee in Chicago

Ben C., 26, a authorities employee in Chicago: I've been a fan of F1 since 2014, which is longer than most of the American audience that it has now. I was so excited about the bear witness because I wanted a deeper wait at the sport. Before the show, being an American fan was an extremely solitary, lonely experience.

What were your preconceptions most F1 going into the documentary?  Hannah: Pretty much nothing. If you had said Formula ane to me, I'd be like, "I call up that'southward cars." Lindy M., who watched the show on a whim based on her Netflix algorithm: I have a crazy story. Ane of our neighbors was watching the Australian Chiliad Prix a while ago. It was in the middle of the night, and he woke his wife upwards to become her to come downstairs to picket it, and a tree barbarous through their ceiling and crushed their bedroom. If the Grand Prix hadn't been on in the middle of the nighttime, they would've been crushed.

If y'all had said Formula 1 to me, I'd be similar, 'I think that's cars.'

Hannah S.C., a Brooklyn-based worker at a record label

Ben: I worked at a car dealership, and I was around these guys who were tuning their cars and modifying them. I started to learn about how cars work, then I got interested in how a automobile works at a racing level. I took that to the natural decision of F1, which is the pinnacle of auto engineering science. Greg M., a new parent from Iowa: I thought it was strong and stale and boring. All racing was really irksome to me.

What changed?  Caitlin: What's prissy nigh F1 is that while it's a complicated sport, it'due south essentially very simple. There'southward not a ton that you need to know to enjoy it. There are twenty drivers and 10 teams, which is pretty easy to retrieve, peculiarly when they're name brands like Ferrari, Mercedes and Crimson Bull. For me, the most interesting element of it was the money. I didn't realize how much coin went into the sport. Greg: Watching the evidence, I started to care about the guys who weren't at the top of the field. Where normally I'd just watch the SportsCenter highlights, now I'm invested in how Lando Norris is going to practise in a race.

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F1 One thousand Prix of The netherlands, final year.

What drivers did you lot gravitate toward while watching the docuseries?  Hannah: It creates such a skilful hero/villain narrative. In the first flavour, yous've got Daniel Ricciardo being and then likable and his Scarlet Bull teammate Max Verstappen non beingness super likable. When y'all get Lewis Hamilton and everybody else in the mix in the 2d and tertiary season, it really creates a whole new world for the sport beyond what you run across on the track. I think at present I'm a McLaren fan with Lando Norris and Ricciardo on board.

Steve Z., 34, who works for an online merchandising company in Chicago: I don't know why, merely Lance Stroll rubbed me the wrong mode. Perhaps information technology'due south the nepotism. [Stroll's male parent Lawrence owns Aston Martin'southward racing squad.] [Stroll seems] like he's non trying to be the likable guy, which makes it fun. I have an nigh four-year-old son who loves cars. At that place's a song about Max Verstappen. I played that for him once jokingly. He loved it. I know Max isn't a big part of the series, but he's somebody that nosotros kind of latched onto [on] the Cerise Balderdash team simply 'cause my son liked information technology. Caitlin: I'm a really large Aston Martin fan. I'g really pulling for them. Sebastian Vettel is my favorite driver. He'south an incredible driver, a back-to-dorsum world champion — simply a lot of information technology's who he is and what he stands for and how vocal he is about what he believes.

What were your favorite storylines in the serial?  Lindy: 1 thing that sticks out to me was Romain Grosjean'south crash in Bahrain, where he was rescued from the fire. That was admittedly insane. I besides like the personal parts of information technology where you become to encounter the driver's family unit. There was a scene that showed Daniel's mom checking out a race. Just watching a mom exist so nervous for her son — that was and then humanizing.

Tchapeau kind of clash betwixt teammates actually drew me into the sport besides.

Steve Z., 34, who works for an online merchandising company in Chicago

Steve: There'south some actually interesting "teammates working together" stories and "teammates hating each other" stories. In full general, that kind of clash between teammates really drew me into the sport, too. They all want to win, correct? Simply sometimes egos get in the way. Ben: I had never paid much attention to those back of the pack teams before Drive to Survive. Fifty-fifty though teams like Williams, Haas and Renault might not be very competitive in terms of finishing positions, that doesn't brand them any less interesting.

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Fans at the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil in 2021.

Practise yous wake upwards to lookout races?  Caitlin: Fifty-fifty though I'm on the W Coast, I dearest waking up early for races. I really really like it when it's super night because I have my TV right adjacent to my bed, I keep all the lights off and I get into it. Hannah: I don't just scout the races, I went to a race in United mexican states City. I'd heard that the United mexican states City race is one of the best F1 events. Merely later going, I realized information technology'south impossible to imagine the scale of everything even when you're watching the race in real life. [372,000 people went to the actual race in 2021.] Even though it felt like a music festival, information technology was bigger than whatever music festival I've ever been to. Just when you're there, it's amazing. You don't have any idea how fast the cars are going until you sit down there and run into them going by you lot.

What do y'all like well-nigh the races now that you've seen the show?  Caitlin: I understand the races much better than I would've otherwise since seeing the testify. The personalization of information technology all, like when Danny Ric wins a race in Monza — you know what that means to him because you've seen him be very honest virtually his switch from Blood-red Bull and how badly things went at Renault. Hannah: The first race that I watched was Silverstone in 2021, which was that race where Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton crashed into each other. I asked my friends, "Is this normal?" And they responded, "This is not normal. This is crazy." Watching that first race and realizing that anything can happen in these races was so cool.

Now my dad is even into it. He's upwards at 6:00 in the forenoon on Sundays on race days texting me well-nigh information technology.

Ben C.

Ben: I would say that the principal style that it has enhanced my viewing pleasure of the sport in general is by bringing in a broader American audience, that it is now becoming a part of the American sports viewing consciousness. Now my dad is even into it. He'southward up at 6:00 in the morning on Sundays on race days texting me about it.

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Fans during a do round of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, terminal year.

Did Drive to Survive make you want to watch other motorsports like NASCAR, IndyCar or IMSA?  Lindy: Formula Eastward is a very progressive have on the sport. I dearest how they have women drivers and that the cars are all electric. I recall it's the next generation of things. Greg: Some IndyCar. My father-in-law is a big NASCAR guy, but it'due south been hard considering you don't take a show similar Drive to Survive to become to know the field. We bridge the gap with F1. Caitlin: My brother and I got into motorsports through Drive to Survive. So we've been watching NASCAR together and nosotros've been watching IndyCar together. I'll acknowledge: NASCAR's still the hardest for me to get truly into, considering there'south then many people involved.

What are you most excited virtually for Season 4 of Drive to Survive ? Lindy: This past flavor in F1 was incredible because information technology was so head-to-caput between Hamilton and Verstappen. From what I've understood, the sport hasn't ever been that fashion, and I tin't wait to meet how the flavour, which came down to the last lap, goes [on Drive to Survive]. I know that Max stopped filming last October, and then I'k curious about how they handle that. Caitlin: Given all of the drama surrounding [now former Haas driver] Nikita Mazepin at present, I'm very interested to come across that episode. I was feeling a lot of sympathy for him last season and the bullying and harassment he got, only now I feel less sympathy given what'due south going on in the world.

Season 4 Trailer | Formula one: Bulldoze to Survive

Source: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/we-interviewed-drive-to-survive-fans-about-their-f1-obsession

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