How Drive To Survive Turned A New Generation Onto Formula 1

The Fastest and Oldest Autosport is Known as F1

When COVID hit, the world turned to television. Everyone was bingeing anything and everything, and, for some reason, we felt like we were running out of material. If you're anything like me, you were putting on shows for background noise. My husband decided we should try a sport documentary series on Netflix called Drive To Survive, where Netflix follows F1 drivers and their teams throughout the season. Aside from the one NASCAR race I've been to in my life, I know nothing about racing and at the time, could care less. Thanks to Drive To Survive, not only do my husband and I refuse to miss a Sunday race, but the show has me saying things like, "check out my grip in this turn" as I take the roundabout at 5mph. I recently found myself in a road rage scenario in which I did something my former self would never do. After the incident, I was asking myself, "When did I become such an aggressive driver?" The only answer is my new obsession with F1 racing.

Walk The F1 Paddock at the F1 Experience in Las Vegas

My husband and I have become such fans of this sport; when we went to Las Vegas earlier this year, I had one demand. We had to visit the Las Vegas F1 Paddock and do the F1 Experience. F1 is one of the oldest autosports around, and still races every year at the place where it all started, Monaco, which should tell you everything you need to know about the sport. It's a rich man's sport. The average ticket to watch one of these events live is in the thousands. Therefore, I won't be attending anytime soon. I wanted to get the second best thing to seeing a race, and that's the F1 Experience. We were able to create our own fictitious race team, race car, and even got to change a tire as they do during pit stops (incredibly more difficult than it looks). There are simulator experiences you can do in actual simulators that former drivers have practiced in. While I highly recommend all things F1, especially Drive To Survive and the F1 Experience, I also recommend not believing you too can drive like an F1 driver.

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The History of NASCAR in 30 Stunning Photos

Ever since its inception in the late 1940s, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing — better known as NASCAR — has been full incredible moments, history-defining wins and heart-pounding photo finishes. Keep reading to look back at some of the powerful images that tell NASCAR's story.

Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak