Former F1 team boss reveals bizarre way he warned staff about "Drive to Survive" microphones

Motorsport photo Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer has revealed the bizarre method he used to warn his colleagues that he was wearing a microphone for Netflix's Drive to Survive cameras. The popular docuseries gave fans unprecedented access to the F1 paddock, but this meant those within the championship had to get creative to protect their privacy.  Szafnauer opened up about his time filming for Drive to Survive during an episode of the High Performance Racing podcast.  "I'll tell you what I used to do whenever I was miked up and on the pitwall," he explained. "You could say all sorts of stuff because emotions were quite high and they recorded 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." When asked if he was constantly wired, Szafnauer confirmed that the microphones were only used when his team was the focus for that particular 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 Otmar Szafnauer, Team Principal, Alpine F1 Team Despite the show airing after the season in which the footage was captured, Szafnauer stressed the importance of keeping operational secrets private. "[There is] still some strategic stuff that you're doing on the pitwall that you don't want them to know." Drive to Survive, which is produced by Netflix and Box to Box Films, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at F1 and its drivers. Since the release of the first season in 2019, the docuseries has been credited with expanding the drivers' profiles by giving them a spotlight to showcase their personalities and lives away from the track. In addition to that, the show has been a huge force behind the championship's boom in popularity in the United States. To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.