zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
This Benetton Documentary Was the Original Drive to Survive
This Benetton Documentary Was the Original Drive to Survive-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:50

Jean Alesi at the 68th Italian Formula One Grand Prix

As I embark (as a passenger) upon a truly prodigious road trip across the country, I’ve been digging through my impressive collection of YouTube playlists filled with videos that I’ve been meaning to watch but never actually got around to viewing. So, I finally downloaded “A Year in the Fast Lane,” a 1997 documentary following the Benetton Formula 1 team.

The full documentary was uploaded in parts back in late 2020 by a user called ‘View from the lookout,’ who has uploaded an incredible collection of videos that include everything from to — for some reason — old commercials. If you’re in the mood for a throwback, this is the place to be.

The six-part docuseries follows the Benetton team through the 1997 World Championship season. Drivers Jean Alesi, Gerhard Berger, and Alexander Wurz finished fourth, fifth, and 14th in the World Drivers’ Championship, respectively, while the team took home third place in the Constructors’ Championship after Williams and Ferrari.

It was something of a wild season for the team; despite the third-place finish, it was the last season before Benetton’s downward spiral, during which time the team scored its final F1 win. The team lasted into 2001, but it was a shadow of itself by that point.

However, this documentary is like a prototype for what would ultimately become Drive to Survive. There are interviews with crew members, “overheard” conversations in busy restaurants, driver interviews, and more. And it all has that nostalgic VHS-like fuzz that transports you back in time. It’s exactly what I imagine an old DTS would end up being.

You can find all six parts on YouTube:

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Nov 2, 2024
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Nov 2, 2024
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Nov 2, 2024
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Nov 2, 2024
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Nov 2, 2024
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Nov 2, 2024
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved