F1 defends Drive to Survive 4 has gone further

Netflix released the documentary series in 2019 campaign to survivewhich began to show the characters and behind-the-scenes stories that take place in the Formula 1 circuit.

The series has proven incredibly popular, particularly in the US, where it has played a major role in the recent surge in interest in F1. It’s one of the reasons why, starting next year, there are three races in the US annually.

The fourth season of Drive to Survive premiered on Netflix in March, ahead of the start of the 2022 F1 season. Featuring 10 episodes covering the tense championship battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen from the 2021 season.

Plans for Drive to Survive Season 5 are yet to be confirmed, but Greg MaffeiThe CEO of Liberty Media revealed that Season 4 is already on track to surpass Season 3’s numbers.

“We are excited to report, and I think our friends at Netflix will love, that it was the number one series in 33 countries around the world,” Mafi said during the launch of the new Las Vegas Grand Prix earlier this week.

“The viewership of Season 4 is already higher than that of Season 3. So it’s a huge success.”

“I think there were many other factors that helped boost our popularity, but without a doubt [Drive to Survive] It’s one of those we don’t rule out.”

The third season premiered in 2021 and reached a new peak of popularity, reaching number one worldwide on Netflix and scoring an audience nearly 20% higher than the first. Season 4 also reached #1 worldwide on Netflix.

Although drivers and other team staff have spoken enthusiastically about the new fans Drive to Survive has brought to F1, some have raised concerns about how they will be represented in the series.

current world champion, Max VerstappenHe revealed in 2021 that he is no longer giving interviews to the series, due to concerns about how it will be filmed, and confirmed a few weeks ago that he had no plans to change his mind.

F1 CEO, Stefano DomenicaliHe said the talks were planned to ensure that creative licensing was not overused, so that pilots would continue to participate in Drive to Survive.