Published 01/23/2023, 4:45 PM EST
The world of sports is often dominated by elite performance. That being said, it isn’t uncommon to see athletes get entangled in the web of superstition. Formula 1, and sports in general, has seen many “curses” and superstitions that drive the actions and beliefs of the athletes. However, in the new age of social media, the internet, and docuseries, the sporting world finds itself on the cusp of another such phenomenon. And Lewis Hamilton would be thanking his lucky stars.
Netflix has spearheaded the way for infotainment sports documentaries. Hence, many sporting organizations have jumped at the opportunity of associating themselves with the streaming giant. A simple case study is the meteoric rise of Formula 1’s global fandom since the advent of the ‘Drive to Survive’ series on the platform. However, things don’t seem as rosy for the sport of tennis and their newly found partnership with Netflix.
How Formula 1 and Lewis Hamilton avoided the Netflix curse?
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Netflix debuted their version of Tennis DTS ‘Break Point’ early this year. However, it would appear that the “Netflix Curse” may have found its genesis. According to the Washington Times, “Of the 10 players featured prominently across the five episodes released last week, right before the start of play at Melbourne Park, only one remains in the singles competition heading into Saturday.”
One of the ten players was Nick Kyrgios, who “withdrew before the tournament because he needs surgery on his left knee.”
Sep 4, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Nick Kyrgios of Australia reacts to defeating Daniil Medvedev on day seven of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Well, now everyone can’t be as lucky as F1, can they? “It is worth noting that no one is drawing any sort of similar silly connection between active participation in the filming of Netflix‘s popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” – made by the same executive producers as “Break Point” – and F1’s on-track results.”
“Consider: Lewis Hamilton has taken part in interviews and managed to win the driver’s championship in each of the first three years of that series. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, did not sit for the Netflix cameras and collected the past two titles.”
Read More: Rafael Nadal’s Iconic Triumph Over Roger Federer Once Made RF Fanboy Lewis Hamilton Bow Down to Spaniard’s Greatness
After some trepidation, Max Verstappen will appear in season 5 of the popular Netflix docuseries about F1. But what can we expect from this highly anticipated off-season offering?
Everything you need to know about Netflix’s F1 Drive to Survive: Season 5
Last week Netflix dropped the release date of the highly anticipated fifth season of the popular docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The show will hit the streaming platform on the 24th of February, 2023. Just in time to get us in the mood for the 2023 season! But what can we expect to see?
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Formula One F1. Pre-Season Testing. Bahrain International Circuit. Sakhir. Bahrain. March 11, 2022. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner during testing. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed.
According to Motorsportmagazine.com, “The series will drop in the middle of F1’s preseason test in Bahrain so petrolheads will be able to switch between the live coverage from Sakhir and the world championship’s latest Netflix portrayal.”
“Series 5 will tell the story of F1 entering a brave new era, with massively revised technical regulations meaning teams had to completely rethink their approach to car design.” Expect some Ferrari drama as well as a gut-wrenching retelling of Mick Schumacher’s 2022 with Haas, and more!
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After season 4, which arguably failed to meet the expectations of many fans, how excited are you for the fifth season of Drive to Survive?