‘Drive to Survive’ Made Christian Horner a Celebrity, but Red Bull Principal Didn’t Really Reciprocate in Kindness: “Like the Kardashians on Wheels”

Call it reality TV if you will, but Netflix has perfected the art of sensationalist drama and how to sell a story to turn in profits. Countless shows like Love is Blind and Selling Sunset have already proven there exists a market for the genre. But no one expected Formula 1 to go through a similar treatment with Netflix’s Drive to Survive.

The niche sport reserved for the elites of the world has been in practice for nearly 80 years. But it was only in 2019 that racing began to feel like a beloved sport with a devoted cult following all over the globe. With its sordid ability to manipulate facts and mislead viewers, Drive to Survive has quickly risen as one of the most-watched series on the streaming platform.

But for understandable reasons, not everyone involved with the profession has taken kindly to the sudden rise in popularity of Formula 1.

Christian Horner gives Drive to Survive a reality check

As the team principal of one of the strongest brand names in Formula 1, Christian Horner has made immense strides within the world of professional racing. But to say that his contributions have gone unacknowledged would be unfair, although Drive to Survive seems happy to take the credit for making Horner popular among the new generation of F1 fans.

However, Horner has been anything but impressed by the exposure brought by the Netflix crew. Although indulging in the show as one of its reluctant participants, the Red Bull team principal has openly called out the series by labeling it “Kardashian on Wheels” in an interview.

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While talking to The Standard ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April 2023, Horner claimed:

Horner is not the only one from Red Bull to voice his distaste for the show’s controversial editing. Max Verstappen also refused to actively participate in the series or cooperate with the Netflix crew, remaining visibly quiet in the presence of the ubiquitous boom mic after one of his quotes was used to sow discord among his peers at Formula 1.

The curse of Drive to Survive is a blessing for F1

Ever since its Season 1 debut – coupled with the timely intervention of the Covid-19 pandemic – Drive to Survive made Formula 1 into a household favorite pastime, and the lives of F1 drivers and team principals became an everyday conversation starter. Much like the addictive story arcs of reality TV shows, Drive to Survive and its episodic drama kept the audience hooked to the screens from start to finish.

Formula 1, for once, was within the reach of the everyday masses, turning the disheartening losses and podium wins into cinematic phenomena. Its popularity transcended the silver screen and impacted real lives as half a million fans turned up at the 2021 Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, with another million watching the race on television [via Business Insider].

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“DTS is a gift and curse to F1”: I’m Glad ‘Drive to Survive’ Created a Legion of New Fans, but Netflix Can’t Keep Getting Away With the Lies

The appeal of the show lay in taking liberties with exaggerating facts and adding dramatic flair to existing narratives. The Netflix show has drawn endless criticism from industry professionals for manufacturing rivalries and misleading the audience, but in a hilarious catch-22, those attributes are exactly what made the show appeal to the general audience in the first place.

Without its reality TV-inspired narrative structure, neither Formula 1 nor its talented members would be at the height of popularity today.

Drive to Survive Season 7 will premiere on Netflix on 7 March 2025.

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