NETFLIX Formula 1: Drive to Survive - Anyone else watching?

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

I've never really had an interest in F1. I did make it out to COTA here in Austin for their inaugural United States Grand Prix in 2012 and came away unimpressed. Too many foreigners dressed in Puma and the cars didn't really seem like cars to me. More like rockets with wheels and nothing I could relate to.

Boy has that ever changed.

I purposely missed the first several season of Drive to Survive and only a couple months ago relented and started season 1. And now I'm hooked. Great TV and they've done a fantastic job of helping me understand the inner-workings of the sport. Just really fascinating stuff. Even my wife can watch it.

I can't be alone. Anyone else addicted?

Oh, and NO SPOILERS!

[911MRP 2.7 Find all posts View Profile Close 911MRP]

Curiously my daughter and her friends are watching the series yet I couldn’t get her interested in F1 even when I worked as an advisor to owners then in director role with a well known team for 15 years and had full access to any paddock and the factory.

I took my dear late pal Chris Turner who started his eponymous Porsche specialist business on 1974 on all points F1 tour. Walked him through end to end race car development cycle . Pulled a few strings to get access rarely given to somone not member of team; a treat when he was quite unwell. It was hilarious having seen how F1 engineering is done behind the scenes he had a big tidy and clean-up of his shop…. customers were shocked as
place was unrecognisable. But he couldn’t find anything when on its proper place. Soon returned to his old ways Miss my old pal as do many folks from the air cooled 911 scene in London.

Steve

[Blucille Patina Hunter Find all posts View Profile Close Blucille]

My whole family is hooked, to the point that my wife is looking at vacation spots to coincide with an F1 race, can’t be bad no matter what she chooses.

an upcoming book on the shenanigans of the sponsorship of the Haas team sounds like a good read “Racing with Rich Energy”

[P-Nut 2.2L Find all posts View Profile Close P-Nut]

I've seen all the series, and its very entertaining. My wife thoroughly enjoyed it.

Scott

[J Schiavone a.k.a. John912 Find all posts View Profile Close J Schiavone]

I think it's great for the sport, fan interest in the US has skyrocketed because of it. 3 F1 races in the US next year!

[DaveRo 2.2L Find all posts View Profile Close DaveRo]

Too many foreigners dressed in Puma...

Now that's funny!

[JP aka LiveFromNY Find all posts View Profile Close JP]

No offense to my many International Porsche peeps! We just find Puma funny here stateside. I'm sure if I showed up at your doorstep in my cowboy boots I'd get the same response over there!

[flatsixer aka rstarga Find all posts View Profile Close flatsixer]

I have been addicted to F1 all my life. I guess I am happy that this program has brought commercial success to F1, but worried that the Kardashian mindset has arrived. Inevitable due to American Media ownership I guess. Haven't watched Drive to Survive, just as I never watched any of the Real Housewives or the aforementioned family shows.
I fear that the title decider last season was "managed" as an attention getter season finale.
Hopefully the powers that be have learned their lesson, but I doubt it.
F1 has always had much personal drama without the need of a script. Probably only Steve (911MRP) here understands.

[911MRP 2.7 Find all posts View Profile Close 911MRP]

David

with your background and knowledge of F1 you might appreciate this about Max:
https://www.imdb.com/video/vi541508377

Here in U.K. it is available on Netflix; not sure where documentary appears in USA but should be available:

Fascinating character without whom F1 — actually motorsport and mobility/road safety — wouldn’t be what it became.

A U.K. coroner’s hearing has recently heard how Max took his own life with his father’s shotgun on his Knightsbridge mews home after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Steve

[flatsixer]

Yes Max was very intelligent. If his parents hadn't been Nazis he would have probably been P.M.
He and Bernie brought F1 out of the dark ages when starting money was paid at the whim of the race promoter. Certainly change of pace from the Balestre days. Pushed tracks to make safety a priority among many other advancements.
Made Bernie a billionaire although I have to say, I never met anyone with a quicker mind than Bernie.

[flatsixer]

P.S. I'll look for the vid. Thanks Steve

[mathieulecomte '65 Bahama 912 Find all posts View Profile Close mathieulecomte]

I've gone the whole 3 first season in a VERY short period, and my wife who thinks of cars solely as a mean to go from A to B was really into it as well. It is very well made because it follows threads and it's not linear following race by race. It is really good!

[simonjb 2.0L Find all posts View Profile Close simonjb]

Best thing to happen to F1 in the US. But the drivers hated the Miami course. I'm a Kiwi, so McLaren is my team.

[flatsixer]

Miles ahead of the original Las Vegas or Dallas! Course is not bad, its the surface and that silly series of 14,15. Austin on the other hand is a fabulous track.

[911MRP 2.7 Find all posts View Profile Close 911MRP]

Agree there are some very sharp minds in F1 and motorsport. I was fortunate to wok with some when selected to lead the strategic review of motorsport in the U.K. for the governing body and the U.K. government. It covered all motorsport from grass roots karting to international pinnacle like F1 and WRC. The majority of F1 teams are based in the U.K.’s motorsport valley including Mercedes and Red Bull Racing. Even the Scuderia at one time had its F1 design office in Guildford, Surrey.

Unsurprisingly the many great and good wanted to have a word to share their wisdom during that as tbe key folks in the sport are not shy and retiring types. Subsequently I was invited to be an “expert advisor” on strategy to the global leadership of the FiA motorsport (their term for my role not mine) so worked with some interesting folks from all corners of the motorsport world in that role too. Culminated in being be invited to make one of the keynote speeches at the FiA’s annual international grand gala and prize giving on stage alongside the President and Vice President.

Their road safety programme does great work and is not always given the recognition it deserves so was pleased it was a focus of the Netflix documentary on Max. Last time spoke with him was at a motorsport industry event at House of Lords. A highly intelligent and resilient character, not many dare take on the press let alone win a landmark high court case. He faced many challenges in his life some not if his own making. I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like for him as a kid growing up in post WW2 Europe with his father having being leader of the “black shirts” and his mother/aunts, (the Mitford sisters’),strong associations with Hitler and the Nazis.

Pleased to hear that the “drive to survive” format is bringing in a new audience

[911MRP 2.7 Find all posts View Profile Close 911MRP]

I recommend this new documentary about three times FiA world drivers’ champion JYS. See image.

A perspective from of the most successful F1 drivers in that period ( 27 wins out of 99 races). That period parallels the early 911 era. So hopefully it’s of interest even to those who haven’t really followed F1 or who’ve only recently cottoned in to it thorough Netflix. The very best drivers In the world aspired the race the pinnacle motor-racing formula.

Being shown on Sky Documentary HD channel U.K. this weekend — presumably is available elsewhere? I’m not sure how to get it in areas beyond that Sky Channel coverage but worth looking for it imo.

Not only for the human story of him and his wife of six decades there is some very clear period racing footage. Enjoy!

Steve

[flatsixer aka rstarga Find all posts View Profile Close flatsixer]

After Stirling, Jackie was the first true professional. He should also be credited with bringing safety to the sport, decent helmets, seat belts, rails along the track, fireproof overalls, etc, etc.
Great businessman too, amazing since he had very little education and is dyslexic to boot, Of course he IS Scottish , so it comes naturally.