Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer has disclosed the unconventional method he employed to alert colleagues when he was wearing a microphone for Netflix’s Drive to Survive production.
The hit docuseries granted viewers unprecedented access to the inner workings of the F1 paddock, compelling team personnel to devise creative strategies to safeguard sensitive conversations. Szafnauer detailed his approach during an appearance on the High Performance Racing podcast.
“I’ll tell you what I used to do whenever I was miked up and on the pit wall,” he explained. “Emotions run high and they record everything. I used to put a piece of tape across my forehead that said ‘Netflix.’ So whenever anyone was talking to me, they could see I was miked up.”
Szafnauer clarified that the audio recording was not constant; microphones were deployed specifically when his team was the narrative focus for a given episode. “Exactly. Well, when we’re the story, I would be miked up, and I’d then be miked up on the grid,” he added.
Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team
Photo by: James Sutton / Motorsport Images
Despite the series airing months after the season concludes, Szafnauer emphasized the necessity of protecting real-time strategic information. “[There is] still some strategic stuff that you’re doing on the pit wall that you don’t want them to know,” he noted.
Produced by Netflix and Box to Box Films, Drive to Survive offers a behind-the-scenes perspective on the championship and its drivers. Since its 2019 debut, the series has significantly elevated driver profiles by showcasing their personalities off the track and has been a primary catalyst for Formula 1’s surge in popularity across the United States.
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