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Drive to Survive Creator Reveals “Problematic” Max Verstappen and Red Bull Narrative As he Justifies Their Omission from the Show

Published 03/30/2024, 8:23 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Drive to Survive has been a great gateway for new fans to join the Formula 1 madness. The series aims to capture the drama, rivalries, and behind-the-scenes moments of Formula 1 racing, and being a Netflix show, it has become a hit quite fast. Every season of the series is a recap of the last F1 season and to be honest, almost everyone knows what happened in 2023. Max Verstappen Dominated.

The Dutch driver left almost no room for anyone else to shine and the fact that he himself tries to stay away from the docuseries crew, had the producers scratching their heads as to what to do. Recently, The Telegraph reported that the DTS team had to get creative with making the show interesting.

via Reuters

James Gay-Rees the British film producer behind the show, came forth to talk about how they drove the narrative of the last season. Gay-Rees stated, “It’s problematic from a narrative point of view because it’s so one-sided, But [engine] regulation changes are coming in 2026, so hopefully that will mean that maybe the playing field gets leveled. But at least there was a battle for second, third, and fourth places, and some good team dynamics.”

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Now Netflix has to get creative and push the show forward, with Red Bull getting not a single episode dedicated to themselves, despite their record-breaking performance. This could also be due to Max Verstappen’s choice of staying away from the controversy-brewing show, but ultimately, James Gay-Rees decided to focus on the other aspects of the season. That we get to see today.

What did Drive to Survive do for Season 6?

Drive to Survive focuses on characters, relationships, and rivalries rather than just race outcomes, giving insights into the happenings around the paddocks. James Gay-Rees utilizes curated storylines to maintain suspense, despite being behind the current racing season’s events. Season 6 focused on the ongoing drama, rivalries, and personal stories within the F1 paddock, ensuring viewers remained invested in the characters beyond the racing action.

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The docuseries addressed the challenge posed by Red Bull’s dominant performance in the 2022 season, with Max Verstappen winning 19 out of 22 races. This was done by exploring the dynamics within teams battling for podium positions. The suspense and intrigue were maintained despite knowing the outcomes of the races, by crafting compelling storylines and getting into the emotions and motivations of the drivers, team principals, as well as the whole team.

With that said, Drive to Survive continues to be one of the easiest methods of understanding the recent history of Formula One. However, the community is divided between DTS fans and DTS rejectors. Which side of the spectrum do you lie? Let us know if you love or hate DTS in the comments below.

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Written by:

Viren Mirpuri

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Viren Mirpuri is an F1 Writer at EssentiallySports. With a Degree in Mass Media and a Specialization in Journalism, Viren is known for his speedy race day coverage outside of discussing the engine technicalities. Whether he's dissecting the latest technical innovations or unraveling the drama on and off the track, he ensures that his readers stay engaged and informed.
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Edited by:

Akash Pandhare