McLaren Boss reveals how the isolated nature of F1 contributed to the success of survival

When new owners, Liberty Media, took control of F1 from the hands of Bernie Ecclestone, one of the roles was to promote the sport through social media. You commissioned a behind-the-scenes documentary from Netflix called Drive To Survive in 2018. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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The series serves as the forerunner of the new season. This year it was released on the streaming platform on March 19, 2021 with great success. But what was the indirect consequence of that?

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 31: Kamui Kobayashi of Japan and Toyota drive during the final practice before qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit on October 31, 2009 in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates . (Photo by Clive Mason / Getty Images)

The 2021 season opener in Bahrain was the most watched Grand Prix event in the US in the 70-year history of the sport! McLaren CEO Zak Brown even revealed how celebrities like American TV presenter Michael Strahan recognize him from Drive to Survive.

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“He came to see me in a New York restaurant. Very polite guy who likes McLaren. And the first thing he said to me was, “I saw you on Netflix!” I think that made a difference, especially in the US, ”said Zak Brown. (Quotes from German translated with Google)

Read more: Is Drive To Survive a Script?

Brown reveals why Drive To Survive was so successful

F1 has always been a closed and less accessible sport. That’s why people experience so much adventure when they know more about it. Many of the fans have never realized what is actually behind the doors of an F1 team – its backroom politics and its wild urge to gain every possible advantage over its competitors.

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“The exciting thing about Formula 1 is that it isolates itself. You couldn’t look inside. For years people have wanted to see what’s going on in the Formula 1 paddock. But they weren’t allowed to. But now we’ve opened our doors and many are amazed, ”said Brown, explaining the series’s popularity.

Liberty Media came in and opened the doors of the sport to the average fan. It quickly found that it did a massive job in growing the sport’s fan base. This was an incentive for her to commission Drive To Survive – “It gave Liberty the opportunity to grow the sport very quickly and do things like Netflix.”

BAHRAIN, BAHRAIN – MARCH 12: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and McLaren F1 and Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren F1 look from the grid during the first day of F1 testing at the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12, 2021 in Bahrain, Bahrain. (Photo by Joe Portlock / Getty Images)

Even now there is no turning back. Drivers like Ricciardo and Norris also use the series to distinguish themselves with the fans. We recently received the confirmation message that Season 4 is already in the making and we can’t wait to see it on our TV screens next year.

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