Its lights out and away we go!
The hit Netflix docudrama series about Formula 1: Drive to Survive has led to the spread of Formula 1 in America, leading to a bigger community and increased viewership within the sport. Before Drive to Survive, Formula 1 was a well known and appreciated sport throughout Europe, having started in 1950, the sport established itself as a prestigious one. Formula 1 is considered to be one of, if not the highest class, of international racing, attracting spectators of significant social status.
Before Drive to Survive, Formula 1 was known to be an elite and exclusive sport, as those who watched and attended the races were typically people on the wealthier side of society; Drive to Survive changed the narrative completely. When Netflix released its first season of Drive to Survive in March of 2019, Formula 1 had very little following in the United States with only half a million viewers on ESPN. The 2021 season was the most-viewed Formula 1 season ever on US television. The 2022 Miami Grand Prix, was one of the most watched (by American audiences) Formula 1 Grand Prix’s ever with a viewership of 2.6 million Americans.
Many Americans went from having little to no knowledge of the sport, to becoming hardcore fans, booking flights and tickets just to catch a glimpse of the exciting and luring action that Formula 1 entails. Kayvon Beykpour, the head of product at Twitter tweeted: "What other shows are as good at converting to sports fandom as Netflix’s 'Drive to Survive'? I went from not knowing anything about F1 to being hardcore obsessed and waking up in the wee hours to watch race day". More than half of US Formula 1 fans say Drive to Survive influenced their fandom. The Formula 1 fandom has expanded even here at Leman.
When interviewing Formula 1 fan, sophomore Fernanda Sieber, about the impact Drive to Survive has had on her and her loyalty to the sport, she said: “I’ve always watched Formula 1, pretty much since I was born because it's a big tradition in my family and I would watch it on a weekly basis. I’ve watched every single race without fail, it’s a big part of the culture in my country. After watching Drive to Survive, it actually made me more interested in the individual drivers and it made me feel more engaged in the sport. I felt as though the show made the sport more relatable. I was also able to understand the meaning behind the decisions and actions of a lot of the drivers. I think it's great that Formula 1 is getting a lot of exposure now and has gained a large fan base from the United States specifically.”
Unlike Sieber, sophomore Dash Mabillon is relatively new to the sport. “I did know about Formula 1 before Drive to Survive, however I did not watch it at all. Drive to Survive was very captivating as a show, it did a good job in showing how Formula 1 would happen ‘behind the scenes’ as there were many interviews with the drivers to see the routines they would have before races and more, therefore it drew more attention to the sport for me. Drive to Survive definitely shifted my view on the sport positively because before I would have never considered watching Formula 1 but the show has made me so much more interested in the sport.”
Drive to Survive has excited all fans, old and new, and has grown their love for the sport like never before. The culture and world of Formula 1 is vast and Drive to Survive has only dipped their toes in the surface of the sea that of this sport, but fans are excited to see what's to become of the sport, because now with every new season of Formula 1, comes another season of America's new ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’-Drive to Survive.