Will Buxton has been boosted into stardom thanks to his role in the Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive. The British broadcaster and former journalist’s insights have made him a cult hero within the sport, and the go-to figure for new fans.
Buxton’s voice has been ever-present throughout the six seasons so far, and his ability to condense the key facts and regulations of the sport for the regular viewer has been critical to its success, even if it has led to some viral moments over the years.
In an exclusive interview with Express Sport, Buxton explained the behind-the-scenes details of his role in filming for the series. “For me, I hate to disappoint, but it’s not that fascinating! I get a taxi to a studio in London six times a year and I walk into a freezing cold, dark room with a bright light shining in my face.
“I have a coffee and a croissant, I sit on the most uncomfortable chair you’ve ever sat on in your life and I have questions fired at me for five hours where I try to bring some semblance of sense and understanding to what has been going on in Formula One over that six week period or two-month period that is between interviews.
“And we do them all the way through the year so I sit usually for about 30 hours a year and just answer interview questions. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no script. They don’t ask me to deliver lines, they just ask me questions and I try to answer them as best as I possibly can to bring some understanding to what is going on.
“So, you know it’s fascinating watching it back at the end of the year because I don’t see anything literally until it hits the screens, until everyone else sees it. That is the first time that I see it.
“And to see either how right you got things at the start of the year, or how completely wrong you got things at the start of the year – and I know that season seven (which will cover the ongoing 2024 campaign)… I know in my early interviews I said ‘It looks like it’s going to be another season of Red Bull dominance.’
“I’m so glad that I’m wrong! I’m so glad that in those early episodes of the season, people are going to look at that and go ‘Well, we know what’s coming, and you were totally wrong Buxton.’ And that is great because it has been a season the likes of which none of us anticipated. So yeah, that’s my experience on Drive to Survive!”
Will delves deeper into the history of the sport and the legendary figures that have graced it in his new book – Grand Prix: An Illustrated History of Formula One – in bookstores now, or order online.
