With 4 seasons available on Netflix, the series F1: Drive to Live is very successful with Formula 1 fans. However, its new episodes have been involved in a major controversy with the game’s pilots. Representatives of the most famous teams said that they are angry with the creation of Netflix.
“In each relentless Formula 1 season, drivers, managers and team owners experience great emotions on and off the track,” said the official synopsis of Formula 1: Drive for a Living on Netflix.
The documentary production’s fourth season hit the stage in March 2022, and caused an undeniable controversy with the pilots featured.
The AV Club website explained everything about the Formula 1 controversy: Drive for a Living and the reason for the drivers’ revolt against Netflix; see below.
Formula 1: Drive For A Living Controversy On Netflix
According to The A.V. Club website, some Formula 1 drivers are outraged at the cost of attending or not participating in the Netflix series.
In a recent interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello SportThe Formula 1 CEO revealed that many teams and drivers are unhappy with the Netflix series featuring.
According to Stefano Domenicali, some drivers – and some teams – are planning to break away from the platform before next season.
The problem is that Formula 1: Drive for a Living explicitly manipulates the footage of the race, intended to provide the public with more dramatic content amid the drivers’ interactions.
With this, the series manages to create narrative arcs for specific pilots. The strategy makes production more fun and engaging, and this is particularly successful in the United States, where Formula 1 has enjoyed a growing rise in popularity.
However, some pilots are portrayed as “villains” or “antagonists”, precisely to create more interesting stories on Netflix.
Champion Max Verstappen (pictured above), for example, never accepted to participate in Formula 1: Drive for a Living.
Since the series’ first season, the pilot claims that the production is “very false” and that it creates a “rivalry that doesn’t exist”.
It’s also interesting to mention that, according to the website The AV Club, the most “dramatic” episodes of the fourth season of Drive to Live are also the “least interesting” episodes of the series.
“The series is much better when it focuses only on intermediate drivers, and professionals who do not focus on champions, such as Verstappen”, evaluates the publication.
Formula 1: Drive for a Living hasn’t been officially renewed for Season 5 yet, but if you want to continue to rely on the collaboration and participation of drivers, you’ll have to choose a less aggressive narrative strategy.
Formula 1: Drive for a Living season 4 is available on Netflix.
