Mercedes, Ferrari has done F1 a disservice - Netflix documentary makers
- Published on 25 Feb 2019 09:25
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- By: Fergal Walsh
The makers of the upcoming Netflix documentary surrounding the 2018 Formula 1 season has accused Mercedes and Ferrari of doing F1 a disservice by not taking part in the ten-part series.
The two F1 giants opted not to give the filmmakers inside access to their operations amid a close title fight. The other eight teams agreed to the terms, and the series' executive producer Paul Martin said that it was all or nothing for every team.
"Mercedes and Ferrari wanted to operate under different terms to the rest of the teams, and us, as producers, and Netflix as the broadcasting platform, didn't feel comfortable with that," Martin said.
"It was going to be all-or-nothing and if those terms were good enough for the eight other teams, it should have been good enough for Mercedes and Ferrari, too. My view is that they did a slight disservice to the fans and the sport by not taking part.
"We were lucky enough that teams such as Red Bull, Renault, Haas, and the others gave us fabulous access and bared their souls."
Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes came out on top in the drivers' and constructors' championship respectively last year, defeating Ferrari who dropped off in form in the second half of the year.
Speaking about the situation, a Mercedes spokesperson said: "We were delighted to see that last season's compelling, year-long battle for the championship between Ferrari and Mercedes helped drive 10 per cent growth in unique viewership for F1 worldwide and made the sport the fastest growing in the world on social media.
"Competing for the world championship is an all-consuming business that demands every ounce of focus from the entire team; we are driven first and foremost by performance in every decision we make."
Ferrari did not comment on the situation.
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Replies (5)
Login to replyf1ski
Posts: 726
sour grapes take your camera home
calle.itw
Posts: 8,527
One could argue that Merc and Ferrari did a disservice to F1. One could argue that they owe nothing to F1, and therefore can't be required to let a filmteam inside the loop.
I for one argue that they are silly baboons, who missed out on a great marketing opportunity.
mcbhargav
Posts: 1,332
As an F1 fan, neither i care for a Netflix documentary over Ferrari or Merc, nor i would ever think, they did a disservice to F1 by not allowing this silly group in.
ajpennypacker
Posts: 2,475
Not sure I agree with the people hating on the filmmakers or Ferrari/Mercedes. It does kind of suck that Ferrari and Mercedes didn't allow cameras in, after all this films are always great to watch. I remember the ones done on McLaren in the 90s, and the one from 2016. I also recall the one on Fernando Alonso in 2014 before leaving Ferrari. There's been a few really great ones. I'll definitely watch this one too. However, I can also see Mercedes and Ferrari's point of view. They have significant advantage over the rest of the field, why do anything to compromise that. I'm not sure I follow how the other teams were Ok with this thought. It's not as if other teams didn't care about secrecy.
Ram Samartha
Posts: 1,172
It sounds like maybe Netflix did a disservice to F1 by not being more flexible but ultimately whether they gave inside access or not F1 isn't really going to be affected.