2x IndyCar champ Will Power gives his verdict on Netflix's Drive to Survive that made F1 the "biggest sport in the world”

IndyCar driver Will Power was featured on the Apex Hunters United podcast's latest episode uploaded on February 24, 2025, as he reflected on the 2024 IndyCar season and looked forward to the upcoming season. The host and Power talked all things motorsports on the podcast as the Team Penske driver shared his thoughts about Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries and how it helped F1.

F1 struggled with viewership and getting audiences to the track in the 2010s which led to doubts over the financial sustainability of the teams. Multiple new teams that joined the sport in the 2010s i.e. Marussia and Caterham ended up dissolving due to financial struggles.

However, F1 is now booming with valuations of the teams skyrocketing. The top teams like Mercedes and Ferrari are valued at close to $4 billion. Power detailed how the Drive to Survive series was crucial to F1’s success in making it the biggest sport in the world:

“Drive to Survive really just, they were in a way lucky that, you know, that they'd started that TV show, and then COVID happened. Everyone's sitting at home watching Netflix, and I've never seen something blow up so much, which has actually been fantastic for motorsport.” (16:55 onwards)

“I think that's helped us, Indycar, because it's an open-wheel series. But yeah, and, you know, other series have tried to replicate that. You know, we had a reality TV show, and it, yeah, it definitely didn't hit as well,” he added

Will Power then explained the struggles that F1 faced in the 2010s and how the sport lost 25% of its viewership. But the Liberty Media takeover along with the idea of Drive to Survive helped the sport grow in stature and become as big as it has:

“They've lost 25% of the TV audience. So they were looking like they were in a bad spot for a while, but man, did they ever just hit it with Netflix, just such a, what a great job they did. It's become the biggest sport in the world.”

IndyCar has been going through financial and viewership struggles. IndyCar viewership averaged 1.3 million for the 2024 season, which was a 2% drop from the previous year. However, the most worrying number was for the finale in Nashville with just 483,000 viewers.

Roger Penske, the IndyCar owner, has been working towards growing the sport and has taken multiple steps including the FOX partnership for the 2025 season and the development of a new chassis for the near future.

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“I'm very passionate”: Will Power on why fans should support IndyCar

The 2025 IndyCar season is on the horizon with the first race taking place at the Saint Petersburg Grand Prix on March 2. IndyCar has been posting videos of its drivers answering why fans should support them in 2025 as it tries to engage.

Multiple drivers answered the question including Graham Rahal, Jacob Abel, Scott McLaughlin, and Will Power. Motorsport reporter Bob Pockrass shared the video on social media platform X as the Team Penske driver said:

“Well, I'm very passionate about what I do, I put a lot of work in. I love what I do, I love racing, love the series and competing against the best in the world. I don't care who you root for as long as you are cheering for IndyCar.”

Power won the IndyCar championship in 2014 and 2022 with Team Penske and will be looking to add his third championship in the 2025 season.