In pole position for behind-the-scenes sport

Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive is one of the most influential shows of the past decade. But how did it turn such a tedious sport into gripping television?

Jack Seale

Tennis has Break Point. Rugby union has Six Nations: Full Contact. Nascar has Full Speed. Golf has Full Swing. Basketball has Starting 5. Cycling has Tour de France: Unchained. American football has both Quarterback and Receiver. Athletics has Sprint. What do all these documentaries have in common? They have all sprung up in the past five years or so, and are basically all the same show: if they are not full clones of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, they are heavily inspired by it. Drive to Survive (DTS) thus has a claim to be one of the most influential TV documentaries of the past decade, having pioneered a simple but effective format. Every 12 months since 2019, it has delivered a new season – this month it released the seventh…

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Guardian Weekly (Digital) - 1 Issue, 21 March 2025

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