“Drive to Survive was a stroke of luck for F1”

April 28, 2024 10:30

Nico Rosberg, former driver and champion for Mercedes in Formula 1 in 2016, believes that the category was very lucky with the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’. In an interview with the ‘Business of Sport’ podcast, the German highlighted the importance of the program in attracting new fans and strengthening the image of F1.

“I think F1 was very lucky. Netflix did a good job, found open characters and turned everything into a kind of reality show,” said Rosberg.

Launched in 2019, shortly after the acquisition of F1 by Liberty Media, ‘Drive to Survive’ has already had six seasons. The documentary series introduced the category to a new global audience, as Rosberg points out: “F1 is huge now, both in the United States and in Europe. Everyone seems to be a fan.”

In addition to attracting new viewers, the program also helped drivers and teams to consolidate their brands. “Guenther Steiner (former boss of Haas) became a legend thanks to Netflix. It’s great to see,” Rosberg said.

Even recognizing the importance of the series, the former pilot joked about his own participation: “I would have hated to have participated. I was focused on performance and didn’t want distractions. But at the same time, it would have been interesting because of the scope that the series provides,” he concluded.

With social media and Netflix playing a key role, Formula 1 has been reinventing itself and winning over new fans. It remains to be seen how the category will take advantage of this momentum to consolidate itself as an even more global sport.

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