“Best Invention Since Sliced Bread”: Mercedes Boss Breaks Down the ‘Soap’ of F1 Thanks to Bernie Ecclestone

F1 back in the 70s and 80s was a dose of raw adrenaline. The drivers and teams used to carry intense energy to compete with each other. Coming to the modern era, the sport has evolved in leaps and bounds. The intensity may have settled, but the drama has increased, surely. Speaking about the same, Toto Wolff expressed his views on how modern F1 has shaped up.

In a conversation with professors at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff touched upon how F1 is thriving as a key source of entertainment for people. The drama of the Netflix series Drive to Survive helped to grow the popularity of drivers who may not be featured a lot in mainstream media.

Wolff stated how Bernie Ecclestone started the making of a reality show that is F1. He said, “The soap part is always been within the DNA of Formula One. There is a political battle off-track, there is a sporting battle on track. We provide headlines over the 12 months of the year. And it’s a bit of a reality show that has been created by Bernie Ecclestone.”

He continued, “As long as we never feel safe in the kind of mentality, we are the biggest, we’re the best invention since sliced bread, we will stay on our toes, we will make sure that we learn from Challenger series and continue to develop the product that is Formula One. But I believe we are in a great place.”

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Toto mentioned how the audiences of F1 have grown over the past few years on all channels. While Bernie Ecclestone ignited the spark of dramatic entertainment, Liberty media has sustained it to stimulate the growth of the sport.

The Impact of Netflix Drive to Survive – Is F1 a reality show?

The Netflix docuseries named Drive to Survive has prompted a large growth in the F1 fanbase since its first season in 2019. As the Mercedes team boss cited, the dramatic take of the sport over the full season is quite exciting for new fans to watch. Besides entertainment, people also learn and get acquainted with the intricacies of the sport.

Although the Netflix series is a factor in the growth of the sport’s fanbase, it is not the sole reason. The marketing approach taken by Liberty Media, who took over F1 in 2017, has also helped to develop the sport. F1’s popularity in the USA has reached one of the highest levels to date.

Yet, many fans condemn the docuseries and Netflix for creating fake rivalries and manufacturing drama. It reflects a feel of a scripted reality show rather than the raw adrenaline fans love to experience. While it’s a question of perspective, so far it has not crossed any limits to be just another reality show.

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F1 is producing loads of entertainment and drama in the last few seasons. So it feels like Netflix should have enough content to spice up Drive to Survive. What do you think about Netflix’s Drive to Survive?