Following a private screening of the highly anticipated F1 movie ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren driver Lando Norris has compared the production to the popular Netflix series Drive to Survive. Predicting the movie’s lasting impact, he suggested that the Brad Pitt-starring film represents “something a lot more historical” than the docuseries.
The initial response has been overwhelmingly positive from drivers up and down the grid, although the “Hollywood” nature of the movie has been highlighted by the likes of Nico Hulkenberg and Ollie Bearman. Despite this, it’s clear that the movie is a triumph in their eyes as it celebrates the growing success of their sport.
Netflix’s Drive to Survive series has been a fundamental part of the sport’s recent growth, especially in territories such as the United States. Starting in March 2019 and now on its seventh season, the docuseries has become wildly popular with it providing behind-the-scenes access to much of what isn’t seen during a race weekend – albeit with a little creative license.
This has translated into tangible benefits for Formula 1, which now boasts three US-based Grands Prix and higher viewership, especially within the all-important 18 to 29 age range.
Actor Brad Pitt during filming for an upcoming movie
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Despite this success, Drive to Survive has faced criticism from within the paddock, with Norris himself offering scathing comments. “I don’t want made-up scripts and fabricated nonsense,” he said at the beginning of this season.
It’s no surprise that a comparison was drawn after the viewing of the movie.
“It’s a lot more Hollywood, so it’s quite different,” he admitted. “I think maybe both are good for different reasons. I think F1 is just good, because it’s a wider scale, and I think maybe it’ll reach a lot more people.
“The documentary on Netflix is good, because I think you see a lot more of the behind the scenes, and teams and people a little bit more, and I think it’s good for that.”
The Papaya driver also highlighted the film’s potential of becoming a historic part of motorsport media.
“I just find it cool that we’re in a movie. I think it’s way cooler than a Netflix documentary. I think it’s a much bigger stage. It’s a movie, it’s got movie stars in it, and I think that’s something a lot more historical than just a Netflix documentary.
“It’s something that in 20 years your kids can still watch, and it’ll still be kind of cool. I think it was very good, in my opinion. I didn’t really know what to expect, because I’ve not been too up to date with what it is, or what it was going to be.
“I think just the fact that Formula 1 is in a movie, and you get a bit of an understanding about personalities, and what’s good, what’s bad about drivers and engineers, the culture of teams. I think it was good for that side of things, that people get that understanding and the work that needs to go into it. So, for that reason, I thought it was good.”
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