As Bahrain dazzled on the global stage for the season opener of Formula One, former F1 driver David Coulthard and British Formula One digital presenter William Buxton of Netflix’s ‘Drive to Survive’ fame spoke exclusively to Life N Style magazine to give us their take on the upcoming season.
An electrifying weekend with a record sell-out crowd, amazing world-class entertainment, and an incredible race, as Bahrain lit up for the massive global success that was the season opener of Formula One at Sakhir. A whopping 36,000 spectators watched Red Bull dominate the race with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez picking up the first and second places while Fernando Alonso had a third-place podium finish after an intense battle with Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Carlos Sainz (Ferrari).
Image courtesy: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Commenting on the conclusion of the 2023 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Arif Rahimi, Chairman of Bahrain International Circuit, said, “Our sell-our crowd over the weekend reflects the incredible popularity of Formula 1 across the world. What is especially encouraging is that we are attracting more fans than ever before from overseas and also bringing in a new generation to the sport. Moreover, the passion of the Bahraini fans is as intense as I have ever seen.”
WILL BUXTON AND THE ‘DRIVE TO SURVIVE’ CRAZE
There is no escaping the impact that Netflix’s docuseries ‘Drive To Survive’ has had on the sport. Data from reputed market research firm Nielsen found that 34% of Netflix viewers became fans of F1 racing after watching the series. Another 30% said they understood the sport more, and 29% said they felt more engaged with the sport.
The analysis, which looked at F1 viewership during three specific periods, found that more than 360,000 viewers who didn’t view F1 in the latter part of the 2021 season, watched F1 racing in 2022 after watching ‘Drive to Survive’. Its halo effect has driven fans from the TV screen to the live sport, something that has been difficult to accomplish earlier.
In an exclusive chat with Life N Style, Will Buxton, the Formula One digital presenter, who has found international fame being on the immensely popular show got his predictions for Bahrain spot-on – A red Bull one-two and a third for Alonso, revealing why the show has kept him on for all five seasons. Head over to our Instagram handle to watch the full video!
DAVID COULTHARD’S PREDICTIONS FOR THE SEASON
To get a former formula one driver’s take on this year’s season, Life N Style spoke with the unforgettable racing great turned commentator, David Coulthard. The British driver who competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 1994 and 2008, had 13 Grand Prix victories and 62 podiums.
Image courtesy: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
Coulthard’s predictions for the season,“ I believe that Max will win the world championship again. And it will be quite a tight battle between McLaren and Ferrari. Fernando Alonso will maybe even get a win. But for sure he will get some podiums.”
Head over to our Instagram handle to watch the full video!
