I have never watched a single Formula 1 race. In truth, I’ve never watched any auto racing at all. It’s just not how I would choose to spend my time. Which makes it all the more surprising that I absolutely loved the Netflix documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. I burned through the first season of the series in record time last year when I discovered it in a deep dive into the Netflix documentary treasure trove, and was all too eager to churn through season two when it dropped on the streaming site this past weekend.
The series has all the same elements that make other Netflix documentary series (like Cheer and Last Chance U) turn into viral hits, albeit with one major difference: the subjects of the series are professional athletes and/or high ranking businessmen and women. That lends an additional degree of difficulty to the series – aside from a couple of individuals, most everyone here is at the top of their chosen field. There’s nowhere else to go but down. Which makes watching Formula 1: Drive to Survive even more intriguing.
I’ve come to the series with, as I mentioned, literally zero knowledge of the world of Formula 1 racing, which means I didn’t come in with a favorite team or favorite driver. After watching both seasons, I still don’t have a particular favorite, which means I was just as invested in the episode focusing on the depressing fortunes of former powerhouse Williams as I was when the series was detailing the driver drama over at top tier Red Bull. Due to the large number of drivers, constructors, and races, some things get lost in the shuffle (for the uninitiated, it can get a bit confusing when the series jumps from presenting races in calendar order to focusing on different teams – which means we repeat races or see results from several races in a single episode), but it’s easy enough to follow the season-long arcs.
What the series does best is ensure that the focus isn’t solely on the drivers or the team owners. We get to spend time with the team managers, we get to watch the pit crews hang on every turn in the race, and we get to spend time with the families of the drivers, gaining a better understanding of just how much time (and money) it takes to create the next Formula 1 champion. And while there isn’t the same level of personal revelation one can get from a Cheer (understandable, seeing as there are millions and millions of dollars at stake), the drivers and teams are shockingly open about their failures in a way I don’t think we would see from a Major League Baseball team or an NFL team. That level of transparency is strangely refreshing to see.
The most interesting tidbit about the world of Formula 1 racing was something that was mentioned in passing in the season’s final episode: The 2020 season is the last racing season without financial caps. As someone used to the structure of American sporting leagues, where financial caps (and/or luxury taxes for those who overspend) are common, the one thing that shocked me about the first two seasons of Formula 1: Drive to Survive was the massive gap between the cars of the rich teams and those below the top tier. How can the lower tier teams compete when someone like Ferrari can throw an additional $100 million at their construction (and, presumably, more money at their drivers) than their rivals? The concept of a cap will undoubtedly change the sport, hopefully bringing more parity to the races. With a more level financial playing field it really will boil down to construction and driving skill. And then things will get very interesting.
If you are a rabid follower of Formula 1, I’m not sure if you’ll get the same amount of joy out of the series as a casual fan or even a complete novice. I made sure not to “cheat” and check on the final 2019 standings (and which drivers are now on which teams) before finishing the series to preserve some of the mystery. For someone with no knowledge of this particular sport, however, watching the series was wholly enjoyable. I can’t see myself ever watching a race (sorry, still not particularly intrigued by the races themselves), but I’m excited to spend another weekend in the winter of 2021 watching the third season of the show.
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