Did Netflix ruin Formula 1 with ‘Drive To Survive’?

If you followed along with the 2021-22 Formula 1 season, you know that Netflix’s latest installment of Formula 1: Drive To Survive is certain to be a doozy.

Luckily, the wait is nearly over. Drive To Survive Season 4 launches on March 11, and Netflix released the official trailer for the show today.

Here’s the thing:

There are few, if any shows, that have had quite the same impact on a sport as Drive To Survive has for Formula 1.

According to The Guardian, overall ratings for actual Formula 1 in 2021 were up more than 40%, making it the most-watched F1 season in the U.S. ever. The outlet says that the sport added an estimated 73 million fans last year, globally.

Americans, who have usually opted for Nascar if not non-automotive sports altogether, are clamoring enough for the sport to add a second U.S.-based race in Miami this year. And yes, there is supposedly a beach club in the center of the track, in true Miami fashion.

You can’t draw a straight line from the Netflix docuseries to the growth of Formula 1, but it seems clear that there is at least a correlation if not direct causation.

But there is another side to this coin. As a new-ish Formula 1 fan myself, drawn in by the docuseries, I have noticed an incredibly common sentiment among the OG F1 fans: They say that the Netflix show has ruined the sport.