Sainz: Netflix exaggerating F1 rivalries not an issue
Carlos Sainz Jr. says there is no problem with Netflix dramatising rivalries and battles in Formula 1 as the Drive to Survive series continues to boost the series' popularity
The second series of Drive to Survive came out at the end of February, following a number of drivers and teams with unprecedented behind-the-scenes access through the 2019 season.
Sainz's campaign gained particular attention from the Netflix cameras, with one of the early-season episodes following the McLaren driver over the Azerbaijan and Spain race weekends.
The episode entitled 'Dogfight' hyped up a battle between Sainz and Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo over the two weekends as they looked to lead the midfield fight.
Asked by Autosport for his thoughts on the second season of Drive to Survive, Sainz said that while it exaggerated the rivalry with Ricciardo, he was pleased with what it was achieving for F1 as a whole.
"It was good, I enjoyed it," Sainz said of the season.
"Probably the rivalry with Daniel was a bit exaggerated, as you guys might wonder.
"But at the same time, for our US fans, the amount of people that are coming to me to say how thrilled they were with the episodes, and how thrilled they are with the programme, I think it's making a great effect in F1.
"So even if they sometimes exaggerate the rivalry a bit, I still welcome it, and I think it's a great thing for F1.
"And why not dramatise everything even further? I think it's fine."
Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean was also full of praise for the series, calling the production quality "incredible".
But he agreed with Sainz that it did not tell the complete story, with both his and Haas's season-long struggles gaining the focus of the second episode of the season.
"When you know the world from inside, it doesn't show everything," Grosjean said.
"Some teams have been more open than others. But I like it, I think it's great.
"If you ask me about the Haas episode, I would have liked to see a little bit more of the hard work from the boys behind the scene, because we all see the terrible situation that we're in.
"I believe they could have been shown a little bit more of the actual work that was done to try to jump out of the hole.
"I guess it wasn't in the scenario."
2014 Bahrain Grand Prix: The start of Hamilton and Rosberg's rivalry
Formula 1: How many races will the 2020 season have?
Daytona 24: Westbrook’s Ganassi Cadillac tops second practice
Richard Westbrook ensured Cadillac’s new V-LMDh snagged top spot in second practice for the Daytona 24 Hours, ahead of the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura.
Auer suffers back injury in Daytona 24 practice shunt
Mercedes driver Lucas Auer has suffered a back injury and been taken to hospital following a violent crash in opening practice for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
What difference did F1's fastest pitstops of 2022 make?
While a quick pitstop can make all the difference to the outcome of a Formula 1 race, most team managers say consistency is more important than pure speed. MATT KEW analyses the fastest pitstops from last season to see which ones – if any – made a genuine impact
When F1 ‘holiday’ races kept drivers busy through the winter
Modern Formula 1 fans have grown accustomed to a lull in racing during winter in the northern hemisphere. But, as MAURICE HAMILTON explains, there was a time when teams headed south of the equator rather than bunkering down in the factory. And why not? There was fun to be had, money to be made and reputations to forge…
What Porsche social media frenzy says about F1’s manufacturer allure
Porsche whipped up a frenzy thanks to a cryptic social media post last week and, although it turned out to be a false alarm, it also highlighted why manufacturers remain such an important element in terms of the attraction that they bring to F1. It is little wonder that several other manufacturers are bidding for a slice of the action
Why the new Williams boss shouldn’t avoid ‘Mercedes B-team’ comparisons
OPINION: Williams has moved to replace the departed Jost Capito by appointing former Mercedes chief strategist James Vowles as its new team principal. But while he has sought to play down the idea of moulding his new squad into a vision of his old one, some overlap is only to be expected and perhaps shouldn't be shied away from
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.