The popularity of Formula 1 has grown significantly in recent years. One of the contributing factors to this rise in popularity is the docuseries on Netflix. The first season of the show was released in 2019, covering the 2018 F1 season. Since then, Drive to Survive has attracted millions of new fans and helped bring the sport to a wider audience. However, it appears that the sixth season of the show has not been able to generate the same level of interest among viewers.
According to official figures from Netflix, the latest season of Drive to Survive was watched by 2.9 million viewers in the first three days. This represents a 23.2% decrease compared to the viewership during the first three days of the previous season, which was 3.85 million. Additionally, the total number of hours watched also saw a significant decline. The sixth season accumulated 21.80 million hours of viewership in the first three days, a 15% drop from the 25.76 million hours watched last year.
This decline in viewership could be a major setback for the popular Netflix show. However, it is worth noting that fans had criticized the latest season for not giving enough attention to Max Verstappen, despite his remarkable performance in the 2023 title campaign. Drive to Survive offers fans a unique glimpse behind the scenes of Formula 1, and the 2024 season even featured discussions about a potential departure of Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes. Nevertheless, it seems that the show is struggling to attract a larger audience.
The docuseries has been known for its controversial content, including the inclusion of former NASCAR star Danica Patrick. Some die-hard fans of the sport have disregarded Drive to Survive due to its nature. In fact, Alex Albon even mocked the show creators in the latest season. Furthermore, the increased length and similarity of the storyline in season six compared to the previous season have also deterred viewers.
While it is possible that Drive to Survive may regain its viewership numbers in the future, the recent decline may indicate a growing disinterest from the audience. This could potentially force the show creators to make changes in order to appeal to viewers in the upcoming seasons.