Plooij was going to make his debut in Drive to Survive: “I had to sign a contract”

Jack Plooij was going to make his debut in the Netflix series Drive to Survive, but the arrival of Viaplay put a damper on the former pit reporter. “I had to sign a contract and I was not allowed to talk about anything.”

Drive to Survive has become a winter break highlight for many fans in recent years. In this Netflix series, viewers go behind the scenes of Formula 1. The film crew has access to rooms whose doors normally remain closed, which regularly produces unique images. The series has caused a huge growth in popularity – especially in the United States – although the creators are sometimes criticized for the high amount of drama. The producers are not afraid to blow up certain events, but in general the series has been received very positively. The fifth season will be released on February 24.

Drive to survive

And now it turns out that Jack Plooij almost made an appearance in Drive to Survive. At the table with the program HLF8 we ask him if he almost made his debut: “Yes. It’s really dramatic”, launches Plooij. “Very special. I was asked if I wanted to do a screen test and I was allowed to sit in front of the same camera where you just saw Max, and I was allowed to do a number statements in English. They had spotted me in the square because I have special interviews… Or, it’s not really interviews, but I call it getting quotes in a special way. They spotted me there.

Arrival of Viaplay

The former pit reporter for Ziggo Sport continues: “It [een foto die in de studio wordt getoond, red.] was in Russia. I had to take a whole suitcase with special clothes, but I was not allowed to say anything. I had to sign a contract and we weren’t allowed to talk about anything.” When asked if he was ultimately rejected, it sounds like, “No, I wasn’t rejected . But in the end, someone else bought the rights to Formula 1 [Viaplay, red] so we couldn’t stay there. It would have been really special.”

Do you also want to continue watching the next F1 season live? Via the official F1TV Pro, you can stream live to your TV this week for less than €4.33 per month.