Otmar Szafnauer's Bizarre Trick to Warn Staff About Drive to Survive Mics

Former Formula 1 team principal Otmar Szafnauer had an unusual way to protect his team's privacy when Netflix's Drive to Survive cameras were around: a simple piece of tape on his forehead.

Szafnauer, who led teams like Force India and Alpine, revealed the trick during an appearance on the High Performance Racing podcast. When he was wired up with a microphone for the docuseries, he wanted his colleagues to know without saying a word.

"Every time I was miked up and on the pitwall, I'd put a piece of tape across my forehead that said 'Netflix'," he explained. "So when anyone talked to me, they could see I was miked."

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The simple solution proved effective, silently warning team members to be cautious with their words. Szafnauer confirmed the microphones were only used when his team was the focus of an episode, and he would also wear them on the grid.

Despite the show airing after the season, he stressed the need for secrecy: "There's still strategic stuff you're doing on the pitwall that you don't want them to know."

Since its debut in 2019, Drive to Survive has given fans unprecedented access to F1, boosting the sport's popularity, especially in the US. Szafnauer's story offers a glimpse into how teams navigated the constant presence of cameras, balancing exposure with the need for confidentiality.