LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Netflix show "Drive To Survive" has been a big hit for the streaming service ever since it debuted in March 2019. It features all of the action on and off the track while following teams through Formula 1 seasons. Las Vegas will be latest city featured in the show as the valley takes another turn in the spotlight with the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Channel 13 caught up with Box To Box co-founder James Gay-Rees who said they got involved with Formula 1 due to a film that he had previously made.
"I made this film, Senna, awhile ago now. Maybe 15, 16 years ago. I think it was 2010. That was a very big success in the U.K. and globally, actually. It won a couple of BAFTAs. It sort of reignited an interest in Formula 1 with an audience that had maybe stopped watching over the years," Gay-Rees said. "It became clear to us that there was something in the space still to be done. We were approached by Formula 1 and Netflix simultaneously to do something because we had made the film, which was a well-regarded film in the community."
Many have credited the show with driving popularity of the sport in the United States and possibly playing a factor in Formula 1 coming to Las Vegas. It's a comparison that Gay-Rees said the production team is flattered by.
"I am very proud of it. I'm really please that it's landed in the way it has done and I'm really happy that it's found its audience," Gay-Rees said. "I think it's indicative of how the sport is growing in the States. I think all the drivers are really excited to be out there. They all want this sport to become as big as possible. It's just a match made in heaven, in some respects."
Gay-Rees added the "Drive To Survive" team is in Las Vegas capturing footage and interviews that will be used in the next season of the show and that it should be interesting.
"What a way to see [the city] with such a massive, showcase set piece, a night race through the City of Las Vegas. I love street circuits and a night race is going to be incredible," Gay-Rees said. "It's going to be a unique race and I hope it's a good race. If you think about it, Las Vegas and New York would be the two places you think it could be sensational. Right? So it's going to be eye-watering."
