Daniel Ricciardo reveals how Drive to Survive changed Formula 1 on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
By Sam Linden
On The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo told the show host how the Netflix Drive to Survive series led to an explosion of interest and a whole new fan base, particularly in the U.S.
Drive to Survive
When asked “to what do you attribute this explosion of popularity now in the States?”, Daniel replied: “I was going to say something serious but I think ultimately it’s probably my good looks.”
The Formula 1 superstar then went on to explain how Europe has always had a big core following of F1 for many years. It was inevitable that F1 would blow up in the U.S. because the U.S. “does sports so well”, and Drive to Survive has “put F1 on the map worldwide.”
Daniel Ricciardo’s favorite circuit
Ricciardo does not have a seat for the upcoming 2023 season but instead has landed himself a development driver role at his former team Red Bull Racing. Despite this, Daniel has remained one of the most popular drivers and proved his charm with Colbert’s audience.
Stephen Colbert asked the former McLaren F1 driver what his favorite circuit is and he revealed that as a fan, Austin had his heart although as a driver Monaco is the “crown jewel.”
Ricciardo also told Colbert that despite rumors of the Monaco Grand Prix being removed from the list of races in the future that he thinks it’s here to stay and will continue. “When you think of F1, you think of the Monaco Grand Prix”, he added.
Colbert was very curious about the athleticism surrounding Formula 1 and had to know what kind of training drivers have to do. Ricciardo gave insight into the importance of neck training as drivers can pull over 5 G-force in high-speed corners which requires intense strength to endure.
There are only 20 drivers on the grid and so F1 is an insanely exclusive sport which means fans can have a hard time relating to what drivers actually go through in a race, the Grand Prix winner explained.
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Season 5 of Drive to Survive premieres on February 24th on Netflix where fans can watch exclusive interviews and gain insight into what happened both on track and behind the scenes in the 2022 season.
Has Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ series got you interested in F1? And do you plan on keeping up with the 2023 season? Let us know in the comments below.