How Does the Netflix Drive to Survive Crew Work With F1 Teams?

Netflix just dropped their Drive to Survive season 4 on Friday, March 11. The sensational docu-series has gained so much popularity that the makers dropped back-to-back seasons in no time. This was Drive to Survive’s fourth installment and fans have gone crazy over it.

Drive to Survive has 10 episodes per season. Each episode is mostly based on one to two teams at a time. They’re not only carefully planned, but also brilliantly executed. However, on occasion, Netflix uses a bit of over-dramatization to bring spice into the series.

What we see in the series is the finished product. How are they captured and synced well with the scenario is a long process. Today we’ll look into how the Netflix crew works with F1 teams while shooting their episodes.

Netflix signed a deal with F1 to get the exclusive inside footage of the paddock throughout the season. They later use this invaluable footage to make episodes for the thrilling docu-series.

Read More: Formula 1 Drive to Survive Season 4 Review: Has the Latest Season Lived Up to the Fans’ Expectations?

How does it work? A sneak peek

McLaren Chief Communication Officer Tim Brampton opened up on this lately. The Officer-in-charge talked about the timing, the planning, the preparations, and the interviews that go into the making of the docu-series.

Netflix plans for the entire season long before the season begins with the first race. The crew sits with the teams and describes the to-do list for the season. Each team is interviewed for 3-4 race-weeks, like in the case of McLaren who had Bahrain, Imola, Monza, Monaco, and Austin.

It depends on the teams how much they’re willing to open up in front of the camera. The more backstage story comes from a team, the less dramatic angles are expected out of them. Different teams behave differently with the crew. Some open up a lot and some don’t. Just like Max Verstappen, who stayed out of these interviews as he thinks they put him in the wrong light (his rivalry with Daniel Ricciardo.)

The crew stays with the 10 teams in different race weeks. Apart from taking interviews and getting the inside story, occasionally the crew stays with the team. They wear the team jersey; wear the caps, and eat and sleep together with the team. This is what Brampton described them as “embedding.”

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All in all, F1 has adapted the Netflix crew better in recent years. Things are pretty relaxed now, as compared to the very first year of production. They have now become a part of sport’s fabric and the crew operates without even being a headache to the teams. It has now become a part and parcel to see Netflix’s crew in motion all around the year in race-weeks.