Release date for Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 2 revealed

Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 2 will release on February 28 ahead of the 2020 F1 season.

Formula 1 confirmed the release date of the eagerly anticipated second season, which will drop on the final day of pre-season testing in Barcelona.

The second season of Drive to Survive will document the 2019 Formula 1 season and include Ferrari and Mercedes for the first time, after both opted out of participating in the first instalment.

Along with confirmation of the release date, Formula 1 confirmed that an in-depth retelling of the dramatic 2019 German Grand Prix would feature as a main story in the series.

Mercedes initially only invited Netflix to follow the team’s home race celebrations at the German Grand Prix but a disappointing result for the Silver Arrows meant TV cameras were re-invited a week later for the Hungarian race victory for Lewis Hamilton.

Season one of the show created a fan following for Guenther Steiner after the Italian’s colourful language and straight-talking honesty throughout Haas’ 2018 campaign.

The Netflix series has also resulted in an upturn in audience numbers in the United States, a crucial market Formula 1 continues to chase.

Following the conclusion of the 2019 season, F1 published a report that listed a 7 per cent increase in audience numbers in the U.S.

The sport has also continued its rapid social media growth, beating the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and NBA as the fastest growing sport, albeit from a lower starting point.

In terms of social media platform growth, F1 recorded a 82 per cent increase in social media interactions, totalling 405million, with Drive to Survive a likely driving force behind the sport’s rapid online channels increase.

However, the number of unique TV viewers fell by 19.2m – a drop of 3.9 per cent.