'Drive to Survive' Netflix series to return for fourth season

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Formula 1 has announced that Netflix's acclaimed series 'Drive to Survive' will return for a fourth season next year.

The popular ten-episode docuseries will cover the drama of the 2021 season by relying once again on its behind-the-scenes approach to storytelling.

Netflix has yet to set a date for 'Drive to Survive' Season 4, but the timetable for past releases, with installments usually arriving in late February or early March.

The series' filming crews have been hard at work since the start of the 2021 season in Bahrain, and the drama surrounding this year's campaign and the fierce title fight between Mercedes and Red Bull, and Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, promises an abundance of intrigue.

While the show has made stars of figures such as Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, others have been less happy with the way that they have been depicted in the production's final edits in the past.

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But earlier this year, McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown said that he was unbothered by how 'Drive to Survive' sometimes distorts the reality going on in F1, insisting the misrepresentation is just "entertainment".

In Brown's view, the impact of 'Drive to Survive' on F1's core audience is positive while the series' ability to attract new fans to the sport is indisputable.

"I think Netflix has been great for F1," said the American. "I think it was number one in 25 countries.

"So I think the primary goal of Netflix is to entertain and bring new viewers to F1. And I think it's accomplished that tenfold, which is great."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.