Drive to Survive has quickly become one of the top sports related television series, following the drivers around the world it gives us a genuine behind the scenes perspective of what is going on in the world of F1.

What it has managed to do is pretty much unheard of in the sports world, following real events and threading them all together to create a narrative that will rival any fictional story. It is a fascinating concept but like all reality series, does have some elements that are exaggerated and others where information is overlooked to favor the narrative they have created, at times even vilifying certain drivers.

What is undeniable is that they have brought new fans to the sport eager to see how real what they are seeing on television is, as well as bringing old fans back who have formed a new interest in the young crop of drivers all at the top of their game.

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Season 1

gasly-fichaje-red-bull-2019-f1-soymotor
via Soy Motor

Without giving away too many “spoilers,” one of the key focal points in the first series is driver rivalry, most especially the rivalry between teammates.

In Formula 1, the first driver you simply have to beat is the guy driving the same car as you, where many exceptions can be made when it comes to other cars and driver performance there is understandably immense pressure on drivers to lap faster than their wingman. With the same machinery underneath them, none of these competitors want to be known as the number two driver within their team, this becomes one of the most interesting story lines as drivers reach the end of their contracts and need to literally “Drive To Survive” in the sport. Although it is the pinnacle of motorsport, money can often buy wins, or extremely valuable points in the championship and some teams are willing to sacrifice a seat for an inferior or at least less experienced driver who is able to bring in more sponsorship money, creating another element of drama as drivers face increasing uncertainty.

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Season 2

Hamilton
via Motorsport Magazine

One of the key factors to the success of the first season was their unprecedented access to teams and drivers.

It continued into the second season as teams switched up their driver lineups introducing a lot of youth to the sport, also removing some rather controversially. For those of us already aware of what is going on in the sport, it still provides an alternative “fly-on-the-wall” perspective where you actually get to know the drivers and their respective personalities. As the season progresses and the drama unfolds, the fact that one man and by extension one team dominate the sport so much seems less relevant as you end up more focussed on the chasing pack and the intense competition within the actual championship. It is a docuseries so well executed that if you stopped watching the sport, you will certainly try to catch a few races again to see how certain drivers do, and if you have never seen Formula 1 before you will end up watching with a better understanding of how the sport works.

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Season 3

grosjean crash
Via:Design News

In a year hit by the covid pandemic, more eyes were on the world of Formula 1 than ever before as they got up and running before pretty much any other professional sport.

With so much going on in the world around us entertainment simultaneously became a source of criticism and a necessity for people desperately in need of an outlet, or escape. It was this controversy that kicked off the 2020 season and as the teams moved across Europe and the Middle East, team members and even a couple of drivers would miss races due to positive tests, suggestions that having a travelling circus like this was a terrible idea fell on deaf ears and the show certainly went on. It was a season that also so nearly could have ended in tragedy as the sport witnessed one of the most devastating high speed crashes in modern history as one the cars collided with a barrier and burst into flames. Miraculously the driver survived the incident, but it did end his season and subsequently his career.

It was a drama filled, yet largely predictable 2020 racing season and there are sure to be many things we missed that the insiders did not. After two excellent Drive To Survive seasons, incredible footage, production value, and interviews with leading motorsports experts threaded together with the drivers themselves, we eagerly anticipate the third installment.

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