Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
I love that people love sporting events, but theyre not for me.
Im only capable of following the game as a story, and even then I dont particularly excel.
The characters change too quickly!
There are too many of them!
This is why I started watching NetflixsFormula 1: Drive to Survive.
I kept watching because within four episodes I realized that, at heart, its not a sports docuseries.
Fundamentally,Drive to Surviveis a secret, unofficial, barely disguisedReal Housewivesfranchise.
Theres something to do with points?
Drive to Surviveis at least 30 percent lifestyle gawping.
Another motif that cracks me up: shots of fans watching and cheering from their yachts.
Any show could be about wealth, though.
Thats not the essence ofReal Housewives; thats just the setting.
Its really about scale, personalities, and a structure that invites conflict between those personalities.
F1 has ten teams and two drivers per team.
The tiny, hyperconcentrated scale makesDrive to Survivea hothouse for drama.
ForDrive to Survive, the personality issue almost takes care of itself.
Some are better on TV than others, sure.
Daniel Ricciardo is charismatic and bouncy; Max Verstappens brooding aggression makes him an easy villain.
Huge, ethically uncomfortable mess!
Technically, it is a team sport with both drivers operating identical cars to contribute to total team points.
It is totally devoid of warm, gooey sentimentality or the facade of sportsmanship.
Lets tally it up.Drive to Surviveis a series that follows an insular, wildly wealthy group of people.
Did the car crash?
Who is standing on a podium and who isnt?
It is the best physical manifestation of aReal Housewivesconflict I have ever seen.
It should go without saying that a comparison between these two series is not meant to denigrate either party.
What compliment could be higher than This show is as addictive asReal Housewives?
It is a cutthroat, no-holds-barred mud-slinging contest.
But if youre aDrive to Surviveviewer, you are not gonnabelievewhat happened onSalt Lake Citythis season.
