COVID-19 forced many cancellations in Formula 1, from the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to almost every event on the calendar outside of Europe when the season actually began. It did not, however, cancel production of the Netflix documentary series Drive to Survive, which was able to film throughout the shortened, rescheduled season. Netflix will debut the third season of the documentary series on its platform on March 19.
A quick teaser posted on the official F1 Twitter account hints at a season focused on the challenge of keeping a globe-trotting championship together in a year defined by new concerns and roadblocks. The in-weekend cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix, the day cars were set to take to the track in competition for the first time all season, will surely be a significant storyline early in the season, as will the race to get the championship back online on relatively short notice before the Austrian Grand Prix in July.
In addition to COVID concerns, other major storylines for the season are likely to include AlphaTauri's miraculous win at Monza, the massive fireball at Bahrain that injured Haas F1's Romain Grosjean, and the lasting impact of a year of racing headlined by Lewis Hamilton, who spent 2020 fighting for justice and cementing his résumé as the greatest ever to race. Given how past seasons of Drive to Survive have gone, the hard-fought battle for third place in the championship—ultimately contested between McLaren, Racing Point, and Renault—should also be a major talking point.
From: Road & Track