(Reuters) – Formula One and Netflix confirmed on Thursday two more seasons of the “Drive to Survive” docu-drama credited with taking the sport to new and younger audiences and boosting popularity in the United States.
Season four, which aired this year, has featured in Netflix’s weekly top 10 in 56 countries, Formula One said in a statement.
Filming for season five, to air next year, is underway with the fifth round of the season taking place in Miami this weekend.
“The new season will once again take fans behind the scenes, to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams prepare to battle it out for the 2022 and 2023 championships,” Formula One said.
“The series will offer never-before-seen footage and interviews from the sport’s biggest names.”
The race, making its debut, is one of two U.S. rounds on the 2022 calendar with a night race in Las Vegas scheduled for next year.
While the series had proved popular viewing, Red Bull’s world champion Max Verstappen is not a fan and did not take part in its fourth season.
Critics say rivalries are manufactured while conversations and radio comments have been placed out of context to liven up the show.
Formula One chief executive Stefano Domenicali said in March that he would talk to Netflix about keeping the narrative rooted in reality and would also open a dialogue with drivers.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Ed Osmond)
