The TV series ‘Drive To Survive’ was conceived and realised in collaboration between Netflix and Formula 1 with two main goals: to give fans unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage and to bring new audience to the sport.
Exactly as it happened in the six years prior, season 7 leaves both categories of spectators with a feeling of unfulfillment: let's see why.
Is ‘Drive To Survive’ destined to be stuck in the middle?
The 10 episodes released on 7 March 2025 tell the story of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship in a somewhat accurate manner; with ‘somewhat’ being the key word.
Although several stories are told, such as Leclerc's long-awaited victory in Monaco and Lewis Hamilton's historical move to Ferrari for 2025, there are key elements missing that every possible new fan of the sport should have access to.
Examples are Oliver Bearman's debut at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Franco Colapinto's nine races at Williams, Adrian Newey's move to Aston Martin after 20 years at Red Bull and the Sprint format. All this was not covered in the 10 episodes.
Moreover, for the non-fanatical faction of the audience, basic explanations such as how DRS and the Safety Car work are nowhere to be found.
Yet, not even Formula 1 fanatics have been 100% pleased: there are several decontextualised team radios and scenes being edited in an incorrect order just to make the whole thing more dramatic. As of Lando Norris' first win in Miami, for instance, it appears that Verstappen was in the fight until the last lap, when in fact the McLaren driver won with a big enough gap.
It is honestly a shame that these elements have not been covered in detail, because there are many intriguing behind-the-scenes stories, including Sainz not showing up at a meeting with James Vowles to sign with Williams and the private test that convinced Red Bull to promove Lawson.
Overall, something better could have come out of the incredible 2024 World Championship that F1 has experienced. Our grade is a 6/10, and if we had to sum up season 7 in one sentence, probably the most accurate description would be ‘I could, but I won't’.
For yet another year, the Netflix series remains stuck in the middle of not being able to please either faction of the audience, being the fanatics and the possible new fans. We hope to see things take a turn for the better in the future.
Photo credits: x.com
