Rosberg: 'Netflix saved Formula 1'

Speaking on the Business of Sport podcast, former Mercedes driver and world champion Nico Rosberg argues that Netflix saved Formula 1. He argues that the sport got "very lucky" following the success of the series Drive to Survive. 

Discussing on the podcast how the media has helped the sport, Rosberg touched upon the influence of social media and the changes in licencing rights. Fans are now able to engage with their drivers and teams on a closer, more personal level. However, he argues that "the biggest one is Netflix."

"I think they got very lucky, that our sport got lucky because they did a good job with it and they managed to find characters that were just so open. It was like a reality TV series," Rosberg believes.

Season one of Drive to Survive launched on Netflix in 2019, following the sport's takeover by Liberty Media in 2017. Since then, a further five seasons of the documentary series have been produced.  The series has been able to introduce new fans from around the world to the sport. Rosberg said:"Now in the US, and of course in Europe, F1 is so big. Everybody is a Formula 1 fan." It has also greatly helped drivers and teams to build a strong presence; "you have the Guenther Steiner who's become a legend in his own right from Netflix and it's just great to watch", Rosberg commented. 

Would Rosberg have featured on the series?

When asked whether he would have taken part, the former driver said: "I would have hated it because I was so maxed out on my performance that I really did not want any extra distraction and filming for Netflix is such a distraction. At the same time, I would have really wanted to do it because of the reach and power it generated."