F1 confirms season four of Drive to Survive will launch on March 11th

2022 F1 season

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The fourth season of Netflix’s Formula 1 documentary Drive to Survive will arrive on the platform on March 11th, the series has confirmed.

As was the case for the previous three seasons, the latest instalment will run across a total of 10 episodes.

Series produces Box to Box filmed behind the scenes footage throughout the 2021 F1 season, which saw the closest championship fight since the series began, between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.

However Verstappen, who clinched the title in a controversial end to the season in Abu Dhabi, said last year he would not co-operate with the makers of Drive to Survive. The Red Bull driver said the programme makers “faked a few rivalries which they don’t really exist” and had not given any interviews to them.

Other drivers said they were satisfied with their portrayals in Drive to Survive. Verstappen is expected to feature in the series, however, as Box to Box have the rights to use footage filmed by Formula 1 Management during race weekends.

F1 said the new series of Drive to Survive will “delve into fierce team rivalries, unexpected podiums, and the intense title battle between Mercedes and Red Bull as the pressure reaches an all-time high both on and off the grid.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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32 comments on “F1 confirms season four of Drive to Survive will launch on March 11th”

  1. Bang in the middle of F1’s own live coverage of the Bahrain 2022 test!

    Why would you cannibalize

    1. People like to complain don’t they… It’s a streaming platform you can watch any time of the day you want, genius.
      That’s why I subscribe to the idea that yes, F1 needs to listen to it’s fans but also take their feedback with a pinch of salt. Case in point here….

    2. Why would you choose between a live stream and a video you can watch any time you want? This is XXI century after all, you can play films (documentary or otherwise) whenever you want.

  2. Just in time to light fires underneath all the partisan Hamilton and Verstappen fans before the first race of the season….

    1. @geemac Somehow I think you’re right :O(
      Usually I watch DtS straight away but this year I think I’ll let the new season settle in first…

    2. People have already made up their minds, nothing will change their views.

      Its going to be fun though, reading all those comments!

      1. @jaymenon10 “People have already made up their minds, nothing will change their views.”

        Indeed.

  3. delve into fierce team rivalries

    I have only felt Red Bull vs Mercedes falls into this category. Don’t tell me they are going in the same direction as the previous seasons. There is a channel on youtube featuring many scenes that are not connected to the actual time of the event they portray.

  4. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
    16th February 2022, 11:02

    *inserts dramatic scene of Verstappen and Hamilton touching elbows after whatever race it was*

    In all honesty: aside from the Verstappen-Hamilton being dragged out and a special about Mazespin, I can’t see which other events can be worth dedicating an episode to. And last times around, that meant scraping the barrel and create rivalries out of thin air…

    1. I imagine there’ll be one on the resurgence of McLaren with ricciardo’s win and norris’ pole in Russia. There’ll probably also be one in alpine and the return of Alonso and ocon’s Hungary win. I’m looking forward to the ridiculous sound effects of bottas ploughing into everyone at turn 1!

    1. Cool. As someone who doesn’t have Netflix, and has heard interesting stuff about DTS, I don’t particularly have any opinions on this.

      However, I am slightly sad to not see any news about a third season of F1TV’s excellent “Formula 2: Chasing the Dream”. Think Drive to Survive (or what I’ve heard of it) but with less fake drama/rivalries and a somewhat chronological account of the season. I very much recommend the first 2 seasons.

      1. Not meant as a reply, sorry.

  5. Nine days before season-opener again.
    I wish DTS episodes got released separately at given intervals rather than simultaneously in the off-seasons.
    Either in January or at least a month in advance rather than unnecessarily close to a new season.
    I found release on preceding week Friday this way already last year even if I still had enough motivation to watch previous-year stuff despite the upcoming season looming.
    I’m unsure if I have the same motivation this time around, though.

  6. DTS exemplifies what is wrong with the direction Liberty Media seems to be going: entertainment taking priority over integrity.

  7. Cool. As someone who doesn’t have Netflix, and has heard interesting stuff about DTS, I don’t particularly have any opinions on this.

    However, I am slightly sad to not see any news about a third season of F1TV’s excellent “Formula 2: Chasing the Dream”. Think Drive to Survive (or what I’ve heard of it) but with less fake drama/rivalries and a somewhat chronological account of the season. I very much recommend the first 2 seasons

    1. I have watched the first 2 seasons. Only thing nice was the Mercedes discussions after the race in Germany 2019, and Steiner’s meeting with the German sponsor. Luckily I have stopped subscribing to Netflix and no longer pay for it. Imma save money for something else.

  8. Last year’s was too much editing, cutting and pasting for my taste. Made up rivalries, mixed scenes from different races, enough drama.

    But I believe Verstappen’s reaction to it, and lots of comments saying basically the same, may have forced a meeting or two with the producers to, let’s say, advise them to tell the story and not create it.

    But it will never be the same as the first one. Everyone is now “acting” in front of the cameras…. No more of that Steiner x Magnusson slamming doors… Neither sad faces when things go wrong. Maybe that’s why they had to “create” stories after all. No one wants to look bad.

  9. So on March 11th we all skip to the last episode?

    1. Nice try. As if DTS is ever in chronological order lol.

      That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this series followed the season a bit more chronologically than in the past, just because it’d be really difficult to follow the championship battle out of order.

  10. While watching, I have to spend half the time explaining to the wife about which “drama” and “rivalries” aren’t actually there, which ends up being most of them lol

  11. I love Drive To Survive. Yeah, some of it is dramatised and the chronology and factualisation is a bit creative, but I think it does give insights of F1 that we rarely see.

    It also contains some great 4K HDR footage of major F1 moments, which is the only time I get to see F1 in 4K HDR unless I watch some of the F1 videos on Youtube (with their often aggressive compression levels). As long as you don’t see it as a race-by-race season review (which it certainly isn’t – I don’t think George’s time in the Mercedes car even featured!) then it’s a great addition to F1 viewing.

    Drive to Survive isn’t an in-depth analysis of F1, it’s a supplement to F1 for fans to see more. And perhaps more importantly, it’s a portal to make it accessible to many who otherwise wouldn’t have an entry point into F1. It’s not easy to just stumble across Formula 1 any more and slowly get into it, but with Drive To Survive people can dip their toes in and develop an interest in a driver or a team, feel invested in them and watch them race …who knows, after a while they may be typing away on forums such as this one and getting involved in F1 conversations!

    1. F1 in 4K HDR

      @geekzilla9000 4K yes, HDR no.

      F1 were running some HDR trials last year which were not seen outside of the Biggin Hill broadcast centre & last I heard they went well & the plan is for HDR broadcast’s to be made available to broadcasters this year.

      1. I’d love to watch he races in 4K, sadly though even if the feed is 4K, my NowTV subscription only gives me 1080p anyway (and doesn’t support HDR).

        Hopefully once deals expire and are redone – the F1 TV app itself will be more widely available and support full 4K HDR – the slo-mo shots will look amazing!

  12. I have friends and family members who are now F1 fans *because* of DTS. I now have more people to share my fandom with, and can have conversations around the dinner table about F1 because of this show.

    Whinge all you want about manufacturing drama, but it works. Growing the sport, getting people to actually watch races, and getting people invested in a driver or team is all good for F1.

    1. That’s my main point about DTS. I don’t feel it massively distorts the truth or fictionalises the season, but I do feel it is a great watch and is bringing more fans in.

  13. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
    16th February 2022, 13:44

    Brilliant. I’ve missed the roar of those V8’s.

  14. Meh…
    Waiting out for the Anime version…

  15. After last season I’m convinced F1 is more about DTS/entertainment/”the show” than it is sporting fairness and integrity.

  16. Let the viewers see the new fake champion Max

  17. This show is a bad influence. Won’t bother

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