Is Drive to Survive staged?

With Netflix's hugely popular show Drive to Survive returning for a fourth season, one question remains on people's minds – is the show staged?

The Netflix docu-series has taken the F1 world by storm, giving fans an insider behind-the-scenes look into the sport they cherish and love. The show features long and exclusive interviews with drivers and team principals, showing different sides of the F1 heroes we all admire. It has, however, received a considerable amount of flak for allegedly being staged.

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen called out the show in 2020 for allegedly staging a controversial conversation between himself and his race engineer. The Dutchman said:

“I didn’t like that at all. Because a lot of it is fake. I know what I talked about with my engineers. Some of the things I said in Australia or in Austria, they used for another Grand Prix to make it more exciting. That’s not OK. That’s just sensationalism.”

The 24-year-old has since unenrolled himself from Drive to Survive despite being one of its biggest stars. The Red Bull star feels as though the show creates unnecessary drama and tension between drivers on the grid, potentially affecting their performance. He was also shown as the main reason why former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo left the team, despite the pair being good friends in real life.

While Drive to Survive thrives on exaggeration and hyperbole, it would be unfair to say the show is entirely staged or scripted. Producers film with a specific team each race weekend, giving fans insight into all the various processes that take place.

---

What do other drivers think of Drive to Survive?

Despite F1's biggest star having unenrolled himself from the show, other drivers believe Drive to Survive is huge for the sport's popularity, especially in the USA. McLaren driver Daniel Ricciardo said of the show:

“There’s certainly been a lot of growth, and I honestly see that most in America. I think Europe has grown up in the F1 circle, so the change is not so evident there because it’s always been around, but here in the States, [it’s] very noticeable. For sure there’s times where you want a little bit of space or privacy, but I do think if you let them know ‘no cameras in this room’ or something then they’re pretty good with that. It’s been okay.”

Verstappen's 2021 championship rival Lewis Hamilton was all praise for the series. The Briton claims his friends in America now finally understand what he does for a living, all thanks to the show. He said:

“In this last couple of years it’s been the steepest rise and more and more people are talking about it, more and more people engaging. The amount of emails and messages I get from people I’ve known for years in the States and who never knew what I was doing and now are hooked and can’t wait to come. I think a lot of them are coming this weekend.”

With the fourth season of Drive to Survive set to arrive on March 11, fans can look forward to another season of exciting racing and off-track drama.