Formula One: Drive to Survive Decoded

On March 8th, Formula One, in partnership with Netflix, will release an episodic documentary called Formula One: Drive to Survive. The series will depict the drama, the action and the thrills of the 2018 Formula One season.

According to a review on The Review Geek, who were granted early access, the nitty gritty of Formula One: Drive To Survive has been broken down.

The series combines movie commentary along with one-on-one interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. Drive to Survive’s main purpose is to piece together the drama surrounding last year’s Grand Prix season.

From The Review Geek’s analysis, the opening episodes shines the spotlight on then Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo. One of the episodes is said to depict the rocky patch between himself and team-mate Max Verstappen. From there, fans will be able to witness the drama of him jumping ship and heading for rivals Renault.

The next order of business is the story of Force India and their gradual rise up the Formula One ranks. The outfit, formerly owned by business tycoon Vijay Mallya, endure plenty of drama off the track as well as on it. Finally, the final few episodes shines a light on the intense rivalry between Haas F1 and Renault’s tussle for fourth place in the 2018 championship.

Moving on to the cinematography, a few details were revealed, namely race-by-race introduction, some of the shots that were used during filming:

The Review Geek further states, “Each showcased race in the calendar begins with a black and white globe which zooms in on the highlighted country. This then fades to be replaced by a red outline showcasing the track’s layout and a brief explanation of the challenges each racer may face there. This, combined with in-the-moment racer positions as things change, help to give the series a real slickness and deliver exposition in a way that feels natural and engaging.”

As is the case with most movies, there is always an element of drama thrown in the mix. For example, Drive To Survive employs a generous usage of slow motion effects throughout the 10 episodes. While in some cases, like during some of the overtaking manoeuvres, the effect is stunning and definitely has an impact on the drama aspect.

However, the downside is that elements like debris flying in the air from a crash or zooming in on the Team Principal’s face during intense moments feels a little distracting. According to the reviewers, these kind of shot can sometimes linger a little too long.