Anyone who thought that Formula 1 had lost action, relevance and drama after its brilliant 2021 season is as wrong as Schumi fans who thought his son Mick would stir up the premier class of motorsport in a very short time. A key reminder: Even talent, dough and connections, and one of the sport’s biggest names, are no guarantee of success in the shark tank of racing superstars. And that’s what makes the circus about top speeds and egos so exciting! Drive to Survive gives intimate insights into a sport that, due to its fierce rivalries, is brimming with compelling stories about climbers, unlucky ones and champions.
Season four covered the 2021 season in which seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton lost the world title to Red Bull youngster Max Verstappen due to a controversial rule change midway through the final rounds. This season has made the weekly charts for the top 10 most watched shows in 56 countries – impressive for a docu-soap about a sport that was dubbed dead just a few years ago.
The audience has been growing continuously since the first season in 2019, and the drivers grow more and more fond of you with each new season – even outside of the sporting context. In this way, Drive to Survive focuses on characters who have not necessarily been in the limelight before. We’ll tell you who the most important people are, which storylines are the focus and get you in shape, even if you haven’t seen an episode of Drive to Survive before.
Drive to Survive – Season 5: Everything you need to know – and why you should watch the series (3)
Source: Drive to Survive S5. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Drive to Survive – what you should know before Season 05
Even if drivers, team bosses, engineers and other participants in Formula 1 always want exciting battles for victories on the show, everyone knows that every team secretly dreams of a clear dominance, and let me tell you, Formula 1 had quite a few. Whether it was the golden – or rather: red – era of Ferrari legend Michael Schumacher, or the unstoppable combination of Mercedes and record king Lewis Hamilton (both F1 leaders with seven world titles), whoever has been crowned world champion wants to always more and more.
A new era – who is leading Formula 1?
The test phase for the new season is currently underway and will kick off in Bahrain on March 3rd. Now let’s jump back a year: With Season 2022, the storyline of Season 5 of Drive to Survive, Formula 1 may be entering a new era of dominance. After the controversial 2021 season finale, the otherwise flawless Mercedes machine is struggling with its own car and the past. While Lewis Hamilton has problems staying on the track at all, Max Verstappen, who has gained a lot of experience, races the first few meters in the direction of defending his title. But the legendary racing team Ferrari has a say: Can the Italian team, spoiled by success and last at the top of the world in 2007 with the Finn Kimi Räikkönen, end the seemingly endless dry spell with its top duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz?
The secret star of Formula 1
In addition to the highly political and emotionally charged fight for the F1 crown, there are plenty of other exciting and interesting stories. The Australian Daniel Ricciardo, for example, is considered a kind of protagonist of the series. Not only does he get most of the storylines and screentime, he was also the first driver to be interviewed by the production team and invited the team over to his home.
Drive to Survive – Season 5: Everything you need to know – and why you should watch the series (4)
Source: Drive to Survive S5. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
And this despite the fact that the show was initially viewed with skepticism by most of the actors. Formula 1 is a sport with a lot of well-kept (technology) secrets, so it’s no wonder that the presence of a camera crew in intimate and private moments initially met with opposition. For a long time, Daniel Ricciardo was considered the future world champion, but left his familiar home Red Bull after the team had clearly placed the sporting future in the hands of his younger teammate Max Verstappen. After team changes and performance problems, Daniel Ricciardo is now facing the end of his career without a contract – a large and emotional element of Season 05.
The excitement in Season 05
What else can you count on? With a truckload of entertainment! Whether it’s fan favorite and Haas team boss Günther Steiner, who with rough language represents a pleasant contrast to other slick team leaders, or one of the many young talents – Formula 1 thrives on its charming protagonists, adrenaline, danger and power games. And if you think the dizzying action on the track makes what’s happening off the asphalt look old, you only have to look forward to the discussion about Red Bull exceeding the cost limit in 2022. This is probably the most exciting story part of season 05, last year a real war broke out between the teams!
Drive to Survive – Season 5: Everything you need to know – and why you should watch the series (2)
Source: Drive to Survive S5. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
The rebirth of Ferrari, the unusual problems of champion Hamilton, the unstoppable winning streak of his rival Verstappen, the rise of a new legend, Daniel Ricciardo’s shattered F1 dream or the unimaginable burden of the Schumacher name on the shoulders of his son Mick…her noticed: the 2022 season has many interesting moments ready. The ten episodes are available now on Netflix. Likewise, of course, the previous seasons, season 4, for example, covers the 2021 season and probably the most controversial season finale of all time – insanely exciting. Whether motorsport enthusiast, docudrama fan or just binge lover, Drive to Survive is a guarantee for entertainment, you should definitely give the series a chance. Even if you are not otherwise interested in Formula 1.
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What do you think of the big and popular F1 streaming show Drive to Survive? If you know the show, then we are very interested to know if you can also gain something from Formula 1 – or maybe you just follow the Netflix show? Write us your thoughts and opinions on the high-speed docudrama in the comments.
