Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali said his team will be reaching out to Netflix to discuss the latest season of “Drive to Survive,” which many in the sport and its fans have criticized for overdramatizing the story told in the documentary series.
Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and Stefano Domenicali met at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
(Clive Mason/Getty Images)
“There is no doubt that the Netflix project has had a very successful inclusive effect. To spark the interest of a new audience, a language has been used that in some situations has focused on the dramatization of the story,” Domenicali said during a press conference in Italy reported on by Motorsport.com.
“Drive to Survive,” has been a huge success for Netflix over four seasons and has been widely credited for growing interest in Formula One to record highs, including in the United States, which has traditionally been one of its weakest markets.
AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly is featured in "Drive to Survive".
(Jeff Spicer – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Last year’s race weekend in Texas attracted over 400,000 fans, which is an all-time Formula One record and up from around 250,000 in 2017.
Several F1 drivers, including reigning champion Max Verstappen, have voiced concerns about participating in future seasons.
"Drive to Survive" is produced by James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin.
(Jeff Spicer – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
“I’m quite a down-to-earth guy. I just want it to be facts and just don’t hype it up,” Verstappen told the Associated Press. “It’s just not my thing.”
“We will also speak with Netflix, because it is necessary that the story does not stray from reality, otherwise it no longer suits us, it is a theme that we will tackle together, also involving the [drivers],) Domenicali said.
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“We must ensure that a project that has confirmed that it has an exceptional draw has a captivating language without distorting the image and meaning of the sport we live every day.”
Netflix has not yet responded to a request for comment from Fox News Autos.
