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The explosion in popularity of Formula 1 worldwide can, at least in part, be attributed to the hit Netflix behind-the-scenes documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Now, fans of the show and the sport can rest easy knowing their favorite show won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
Formula 1 announced on its Twitter account that the series has been renewed for not one, but two more seasons. The announcement comes less than two months after the premiere of Drive to Survive‘s fourth season.
The show provides detailed looks into the inner workings of the various Formula 1 teams and drivers, including plenty of footage and interviews that take place away from the track. It’s been credited with driving interest in the sport in recent years, particularly in America.
“Data shows us well that this helped a lot [in] the American market,” Guenther Steiner, the team principal of Haas F1 Team, said in October. “It helped a lot to get people interested—not the avid fan, the guy who watches every race car race. This is different. This seems to be interesting, and then they start to watch and come to races. [The series] had a big impact and what I noticed is the people who recognize it are mainly young people, because the way they use TV is [to watch] Netflix.”
Despite its popularity, the series has drawn some criticism within F1 circles for its dramatization of events. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen expressed his frustration with how the most recent season depicted other drivers.
“For me personally, what I didn’t like and it’s not even about me, it was about Lando [Norris] and Daniel [Ricciardo], who I think are two great guys,” Verstappen said in March. “They’re really nice, first of all, and made it look like Lando was a bit of a d---, which he isn’t at all. And again, you know, I think … I know Lando and I think many people know Lando as a funny guy, a great guy. He has a great character.”
