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McLaren's Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo has spoken of how F1’s Netflix Drive to Survive documentary series has positively impacted its audiences worldwide.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Ricciardo said:
"The nature of the sport is that we wear helmets. It has always been private as well. F1 has always been quiet- for lack of a better word like ‘elite’ I guess and behind close doors.”
Apart from the thrilling championship duel, one of the key reasons F1 has tapped into new audiences globally has been its dramatic behind-the-scenes portrayal on Netflix’s series Drive to Survive.
Daniel Ricciardo was previously critical of F1 being dramatized excessively on Netflix's 'Drive to Survive'
Ricciardo's current praise for the documentary is in contrast to his views in the past, where he felt the series had over-dramatized his relationship with Carlos Sainz, which he claimed to be untrue.
Describing Netflix's dramatization of the sport, he had said: "They tried to create a bit of a rivalry between me and [Carlos] Sainz and it wasn't really there. Like, he's no more a rival than anyone else."
The Australian racer felt the personal lives of the drivers behind the scenes and their off-track lives had a "double impact" on its audiences. F1 in the past was criticized for being inaccessible to audiences beyond Europe. However, its current digital revolution has been openly welcomed by drivers and teams who connect with their fans on social media.
Explaining the new digital revolution, Ricciardo opined drivers and teams had limitations in the past over social media content from the paddock. Citing the growth of F1 in America, he said it was one of the key markets he felt a change in, as seen with the audience turnout at the US GP.
Ricciardo also said the impact of the Netflix documentary on F1 audiences has certainly been overwhelming for drivers with the acceptance and response they receive in the US.
Watch Daniel Ricciardo talk about Drive to Survive's impact from the 16:18 mark of the video below:
