Formula 1: Drive to Survive
F1 docuseries features fast cars, crashes, and cursing.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a docuseries about the FIA Formula One World Championship. It features lots of racing footage, some of which includes serious car accidents. There is cursing ("f--k" and "s--t"), and Champagne is opened during victory celebrations. There's also an endless array of sponsor logos, ranging from car engine manufacturers like Infinity, Renault, and Aston Martin to companies like Shell, Red Bull, Rolex, Heineken, and Pirelli tires.
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What's the Story?
FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE is a Netflix series that follows the FIA Formula One World Championship, and the driving teams who compete in it. It follows Formula One racers like Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasley, and Alex Albon, and engineers like Guenther Steiner, as they work with additional team members in their respective car factories, test-drive their cars, and compete in the 21 FIA Grand Prix races held around the world. Viewers get an inside look at what happens behind the scenes of each race, as well as the opportunity to witness what the drivers see and hear while they are on the speedway. Whether they're racing in Australia or Austria, or in Montreal or Monaco, the teams are under constant pressure by their owners to work together and do everything they can to get their drivers on the podium and push them closer to prize money and championship titles.
Is It Any Good?
This voyeuristic series showcases the hard work that goes into engineering, building, and driving some of the fastest racing cars in the world. It reveals the pressure F1 teams are under to build cars that will reach the speeds needed to win races. The kinds of skills professional F1 drivers require to handle the cars on the speedway is also highlighted. As they travel from country to country, viewers can witness how quickly the fate of the team can change with every race. Meanwhile, the financial disparities between the teams, which creates an uneven playing field in the sport, is also discussed.
Formula One fans will enjoy the show's multiple seasons, which feature glimpses of the sport's most famous drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel (whose participation in the production is limited). But Formula 1: Drive to Survive's focus on talented but less famous drivers makes the series interesting. So does the spectacular footage of different grand prix events. If racing isn't your passion, skip it. But for those who like it, the series provides a lot of entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what makes Formula One racing so popular. The cars? The speeds? The personalities? Why is there so little gender and racial diversity in the sport?
What are the differences between Formula One racing and NASCAR? How does Formula 1: Drive to Survive articulate these differences? Is one better than the other?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 8, 2019
- Cast: Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasley, Guenther Steiner
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: Cars and Trucks
- Character Strengths: Perseverance, Teamwork
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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