The amount of content that Netflix must have mined this time 12 months ago might have filled an entire 10-episode series on its own. One suspects the lawyers must have been extremely busy over the winter to pare it down to what is actually shown here.
That does include a delicious opening sequence to episode one, before the credits even roll, in which Horner and his wife, Geri Halliwell, get into their 4x4 at Horner Towers and set off on a trip somewhere, waxing lyrical about the season just gone (2023). “Can you believe the year you’ve had?” Geri asks. “The statistics are crazy,” Horner nods in response, reeling them off one by one. “21 out of 22 races [won]. Broke the record for the most wins in a year, the most podiums in a year, the most poles to wins in a year, the most points in a year, the biggest winning margin ever…”
Of course, you know what is coming down the tracks so the hubris is writ large, even before Geri utters: “The truth is, you never know what life’s going to bring.” You certainly don’t.
Episode one is, unsurprisingly, the strongest of the 10. There are some memorable moments – Halliwell arriving hand-in-hand with Horner at the first race in Bahrain, rictus smile on her face; Horner calling Zak Brown a “p****” after leaving a press conference in the Gulf kingdom in which the McLaren chief executive called for greater “transparency” in the Red Bull investigation (apparently it was “c***” in the original but the final version is sanitised); Halliwell kissing Jos Verstappen after his son’s victory in that race, which must have required superhuman effort on her part, especially given he then went and called publicly for her husband to go.
But even with all the material at its disposal it is impossible for producers Box to Box to truly convey just how febrile the atmosphere was in Bahrain, or the following race in Saudi Arabia (which is dealt with very perfunctorily).
It is the same with Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes (which is relegated to the second storyline of episode one despite being arguably the biggest move in F1 history). The sense of awkwardness between Hamilton and Toto Wolff at the car launch in February is palpable, such as when Wolff goes in for a hug and Hamilton offers his hand, or when Hamilton offers very limited feedback on the car in Bahrain.
But there was likely a whole lot more we did not see. This was a 24-race divorce, remember, which got so awkward that at one stage anonymous emails were being sent to the press purporting to be coming from an employee at Brackley and falsely accusing “spurned” Wolff of endangering Hamilton’s life by sending him out on dodgy tyres in revenge for Hamilton moving to Ferrari (the email was referred to Northamptonshire police, who took no further action).
There are some other nice moments in episode two, “Frenemies”, which deals with Norris’ relationship with Max Verstappen, and offers plenty of insight. Norris is superb at showing vulnerability. Episode five, “Le Curse of Leclerc”, which follows the Ferrari driver in the week of his home race of Monaco, where Leclerc has always suffered dreadful luck but which he eventually wins in memory of his father Hervé, who died just before Leclerc made it as a fully-fledged F1 driver.
Episode seven “In the Heat of the Night” is also insightful, with Norris, Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell and Pierre Gasly equipped with special Netflix phones for the Singapore weekend and asked to document their antics.
In between the banter and the joshing, you can see the complex social and professional dynamics at play between these drivers who first raced each other in karting. Russell and Albon teasing Norris about flying on a private jet with Verstappen (“Oh yeah, Lando wouldn’t want to fly commercial would he? He’s too big-time for that!”). Or Norris taking the mickey out of himself. “I think my nob’s gone,” says the McLaren driver as he lounges in an ice bath post-race. “It’s shrunk from 6-3!”
“Centimetres?” asks the Netflix camera operator.
These are the moments in which DTS excels, when you are offered unvarnished glimpses of the drivers. Russell absolutely banjaxed after the Singapore race, hyperventilating behind a closed door. Or amusing insights, such as when the same driver pulls a duvet and a pillow out of his luggage.
But so much of it is clearly scripted, and the increasing use of partners/wives/girlfriends/friends to carry out “private chats” as a means of developing a narrative is off-putting. For instance Susie Wolff talking to her husband about Hamilton’s departure over breakfast in Monaco (although the Mercedes team boss does reveal he had an agreement with Hamilton not to talk to Verstappen, which he notes he is now free to do).
All in all, it’s the usual bag. DTS fans will love it. And those who feel Netflix is the tail now wagging the F1 dog will hate it. You have to admire the fact that it continues to go from strength to strength though. Yep, they know what they are doing, these Netflix guys.
“In Formula 1, there’s winners and w*****s. And you don’t want to be in the w*****s category,” remarks Horner at one point. F1 fans will enjoy being able to make their own minds up once more as to who belongs in which.
