Drive to Survive has always been steadfast in its ability to perceive drama at the heart of the show despite adding flair to the storyline. The Formula 1 docu-series has little to show for itself when it comes to authenticity and realism. However, it was not a total waste of resources as the show learned to stand its ground on some controversial issues.
For the last 6 years, the naysayers and dissenters against Drive to Survive will finally find peace as the latest season of the show finally gathers up the courage to be somewhat more transparent in its episodes. And while fake dramas and hyped up rivalries will always color the show’s DNA, Season 7 seems to be course-correcting itself by addressing the problem head-on.
Netflix documents the Christian Horner scandal
Drive to Survive Season 7 starts off with a bang as the series dives headlong into the scandal that rocked the F1 community in February 2024.
After the behavioral misconduct allegations against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner became public, the Netflix crew took their role as documentarians seriously as the cameras honed in on Horner and his every move as his career imploded nearly around him and Red Bull was being cleaved apart by internal politics.
Season 7 of the Netflix series forgoes the embellishments and presents a clear picture of the unfolding scandal, considering how the crew recorded it in real time. For fans who are familiar with the show’s infamous reputation for being too dramatized, the latest episodes come as a welcome surprise as Drive to Survive puts substantial effort into crafting a newsroom-worthy feature.
As for the show’s executive producer, James Gaay-Rees, he does not refute that the latest season is far more original and interesting compared to the previous ones. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he claimed:
It was a really interesting season to get stuck into compared to some of the previous seasons […] There was more to work with, which is a blessing.
When it comes to covering the Christian Horner scandal, however, his response was a bit more diplomatic: “The show has never been out to bury anybody and bury any of the team principles. But it was a big story. So you can’t pretend it wasn’t there.” Netflix made a smart choice to stick to facts and let the facts speak for themselves in this latest season of Drive to Survive.
Drive to Survive Season 7 goes off the rails
Since its debut in 2019, Drive to Survive has made a name for itself as one of Netflix’s most watched and fan-favorite shows. The series, for all its flaws and shortcomings, quickly rose to the top 10 list across multiple countries. But despite being a formulaic success, the integrity of F1 was being simultaneously tarnished by its over-the-top fabrications.
However, Drive to Survive Season 7 finally sets the record straight on the Netflix series’s tendency to exaggerate and modify events to suit its reality TV mold. With an explosive 2024 Grand Prix season to draw from, there was little need for fabrication, as the year was filled with one headline-grabbing controversy after another.
From Horner’s s*xual harassment scandal, Adrian Newey ending his 18-year-long commitment to Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo being dropped from F1, Lewis Hamilton‘s high-profile shift to Ferrari, the power vacuum at Mercedes, Charles Leclerc‘s historic win at Monaco, Max Verstappen‘s 4th championship title, and McLaren’s first championship in 26 years – the 2024 Grand Prix does not fall short of momentous scenes.
And Drive to Survive Season 7 seems to have finally caught on as it reaches to accomplish what it failed to do in the past 6 attempts.
Drive to Survive Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.
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