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The Netflix F1 documentary Drive to Survive is set for its fifth season, which will launch on February 24. The series has been under the spotlight in the last few years because of its engaging content as well as some questionable storylines that don't have much semblance of reality.
The new season will feature reigning F1 Champion Max Verstappen as well after he opted to sit out the last few editions. Over the last four editions, Drive to Survive has tended to be a recap of the events of the previous season before the new F1 season kicked off.
This time around as well, Drive to Survive will try to play the same role. Having said that, what would comprise a fan's wishlist of the things they want to see in the latest season? Well, we've compiled a list for you as we explore a fan's wishlist for the latest edition of Drive to Survive. So without further ado, let's get straight to it.
#1 Cut the fake narrative
The most annoying aspect of Drive to Survive has been the propensity to concoct fake drama and narratives that hold no resemblance to the truth. A fake conflict was shown between Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris last season even though there was none after the Australian joined McLaren.
Earlier, a fake conflict was shown between Max Verstappen and Ricciardo in 2018. It was this false representation that led to Verstappen boycotting the series altogether.
While a new generation of fans have loved the series because they're probably not aware of the fact that the rivalries were — for the lack of a better word — fake, the hardcore fans have questioned the need to add fake narratives.
Especially since the series already has so much behind-the-scenes footage anyway. For this season, F1 fans will be hoping that the fake narratives take a backseat for a change and true stories are brought to the forefront.
#2 The Red Bull F1 cost cap drama in Singapore
Arguably the biggest news of the 2022 F1 season was the Red Bull cost cap drama that exploded during the race weekend in Singapore. The news was first released by German and Italian publications and created a massive ripple.
Team principals like Toto Wolff jumped ahead of the queue and said that this was common knowledge in the paddock and everyone knew about it. The aftermath left the F1 world shocked and conflicted, and for fans, this is one story where the behind-the-scenes footage would be just gold.
#3 Sebastian Vettel retirement
Sebastian Vettel's retirement was a shocker to many F1 fans. Having said that, there are still quite a few unanswered questions. Was Vettel pushed into an early decision because Aston Martin had Fernando Alonso already waiting in the wings?
Was Sebastian Vettel offered a managerial role by Red Bull, something that Helmut Marko has alluded to? What was the behind-the-scenes conversation with one of F1's most adored drivers? It will be interesting to see if these are covered in the docuseries.
#4 The Ferrari drama at Silverstone
Ferrari made headlines for all the wrong reasons more often than not in 2022. The number of times the team's strategy went against lead driver Charles Leclerc was shocking to watch. Their unreliability also completely derailed his championship campaign. Having said that, it all reached a fever pitch when Ferrari suffered a complete implosion at Silverstone.
Leclerc's race was compromised at various points by none other than Ferrari's strategy and the late race decision to not pit under the safety car left the driver fuming. It was at this moment that we saw the infamous finger-wagging to Charles Leclerc by Mattia Binotto after the race.
It would be worth watching what conversations took place behind the scenes between the driver and the team after the race in a Drive to Survive episode. This will reveal a lot of answers about what kind of relationship Leclerc had with Binotto before the Italian left Ferrari.
#5 The Alpine driver debacle
The Alpine driver's debacle was almost comical in the end. First, it was Fernando Alonso who was snatched from under their nose by Aston Martin. Oscar Piastri was then picked up by McLaren and Alpine lost the legal battle on that front as well.
While the team did finally sign a credible talent in Pierre Gasly, the behind-the-scenes drama within the team after losing two great talents is going to be worth a watch in this season of Drive to Survive.
#6 The Lewis Hamilton-Max Verstappen rivalry
It never truly boiled over but there were simmering tensions between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen last season. Lewis Hamilton's comments on his battle with Charles Leclerc in Silverstone and comparing that to what happened between him and the Dutchman in 2021 or the collision between the two in Brazil — the two had a go at each other whenever they got a chance.
Both Verstappen and Hamilton are two of the biggest stars in F1 at the moment and the two are almost always on a collision course. An episode covering the rivalry between these two drivers will be worth a watch.
#7 Max Verstappen's return to Drive to Survive
Max Verstappen declined to be interviewed for the Drive to Survive documentary and did not appear in quite a few of the previous iterations of the series. This year, however, after a sit-down with the docuseries team where Verstappen aired his grievances about the fake storylines that were shown, the driver agreed to appear in the series.
The question at this point is what happens next? How will Max Verstappen be covered? Will it be his championship drives or will it be the controversial stuff? Especially the stuff where he declined team orders or when he boycotted Sky Sports altogether? It will be very interesting to see how Drive to Survive covers the reigning F1 Champion this season.
#8 Of course, the driver drama at Haas
Finally, how can we forget the driver drama at Haas? The American team faced some sort of criticism for the way the Mick Schumacher dynamics were handled by team principal Guenther Steiner. For once, Steiner was put under the scanner by Mick Schumacher's uncle and former F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher for the way he managed the German.
It's no big secret that early in the 2022 F1 season, tensions boiled over after Mick's two high-profile crashes. What was said in the background? How were things handled? Who was at fault? It will be interesting to see if these questions are answered in the latest season of Drive to Survive.
