Drive to Survive: 8 issues to look at in season 5

Netflix ended weeks of hypothesis, saying on Thursday that the fifth season of Drive to Survive would premier on the streaming service on February twenty fourth. The first 4 seasons of the collection pulled again the curtain on the world of Formula 1, introducing new followers of the game to the personalities of F1, whereas giving established followers a better have a look at their favourite drivers and groups.

The collection is coming off one among its largest seasons but, as 4 million viewers tuned in final 12 months to look at the collection on its opening weekend, inserting Drive to Survive within the streaming service’s high ten record on its opening week.

Whether Drive to Survive will match these numbers in Season 5 is an open query. Season 4 had the additional advantage of overlaying the title race between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, which got here right down to the ultimate lap of the season on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and stays a flash level of controversy within the F1 world.

The 2022 F1 season, nevertheless, didn’t come right down to the ultimate lap of the 12 months.

In anticipation of the following season of Drive to Survive, listed here are the six storylines to sit up for on Season 5.

More Max

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

While many followers — and F1 groups — have loved the protection offered by Drive to Survive, one of many sport’s largest names has expressed a special viewpoint previously. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, whereas nonetheless showing in earlier seasons, outlined his frustration with the present final 12 months, and acknowledged that he wouldn’t take part in Season 5. “I’ll probably watch it and see how over the top it is, and just continue with my life,” stated Verstappen final spring.

However, that appears to have modified. Following Verstappen’s feedback, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali reportedly sat down with drivers in regards to the collection, and that will have modified Verstappen’s views. The Red Bull driver, and world champion, is featured within the trailer for Season 5:

A quick second of happiness for Haas?

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

As Drive to Survive launched new followers to the game of F1, one of many early stars from the collection has been Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner. While the racing group has struggled to seek out success on the observe, Steiner has change into a star off of it. Thanks to a blowup on the paddock throughout Season 2, the Haas Team Store now sells shirts with Steiner on them, and his exclamation “He does not foksmash my door!”

(Santa, I’m nonetheless ready on mine).

However, an undercurrent of all of the Haas protection, together with Steiner’s star flip, has been their struggles. The group has discovered it troublesome to realize a foothold in F1 over the previous few seasons.

But the 2022 12 months did convey a shiny spot for Haas, as Kevin Magnussen certified on the pole for the dash race at Interlagos. It was the first time each the driving force, and the group, secured a pole place. After all the things that Haas has been via the previous few years, count on an episode devoted to that first for the group.

Danke Seb

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2022 marked the ultimate F1 season for legendary driver Sebastian Vettel. Vettel received four-straight Drivers’ Championships from 2010 via 2013 with Red Bull, however his transfer to Ferrari for the 2014 coincided with the rise of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton.

Vettel fought to get again to the highest throughout his time at Ferrari, however couldn’t fairly get again to the highest of the F1 world. He left Ferrari for the 2021 season, becoming a member of Aston Martin. Then final July, Vettel introduced that he can be retiring on the conclusion of the 2022 marketing campaign.

The finish to a legendary profession will definitely be a giant a part of the following season of Drive to Survive.

Mattia Binotto’s remaining season at Ferrari

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Another large storyline in the course of the subsequent season of Drive to Survive would be the 12 months we noticed from Ferrari. The Scuderia began 2022 on a excessive be aware, and had been in first place within the Constructors’ standings after the primary few occasions of the season. But then missteps and blunders plagued the group in the course of the center stretch of the season, and as a substitute of difficult Red Bull on the high of the desk, they had been warding off a late-season cost from Mercedes by 12 months’s finish.

The end result? Team Principal Mattia Binotto handed in his resignation on the finish of the season.

Mercedes’ troubles

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Speaking of the Silver Arrows, Season 4 of Drive to Survive ended with a give attention to Team Principal Toto Wolff. It isn’t any secret that Wolff, and Mercedes, had been livid with how the 2021 12 months ended, with Verstappen’s controversial victory at Abu Dhabi that earned him the Drivers’ Championship, and ended a run of four-straight championships from Lewis Hamilton.

The remaining moments of final season targeted on Wolff, and his declaration that how that 12 months ended would have Mercedes primed for an enormous comeback in 2022.

That comeback got here, but it surely got here a lot too late within the 12 months for Mercedes to mount a critical problem to Red Bull. Early-season struggles with the physics and design of their automobile compelled the group to regulate because the 12 months wore on.

Getting a have a look at how the group adjusted and tailored, setting the stage for his or her late-season cost — and George Russell’s first-ever F1 win — can be fascinating to look at unfold

The price cap fallout

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In an effort to attempt to degree the enjoying subject, the FIA imposed a “cost cap” beginning with the 2021 season. Similar to a wage cap in different sports activities, groups had been restricted in how a lot they may spend in sure classes, comparable to elements, personnel, and storage tools.

Looming over practically the complete 2022 season was the anticipated announcement of price cap violations by groups in the course of the 2021 12 months. Perhaps that was as a result of continued fallout over the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, however each week in the course of the 2022 F1 season noticed new rumors of “huge violations” by sure groups.

With most rumors targeted squarely on Red Bull.

Eventually, the findings had been launched by FIA, and Red Bull was discovered to be in breach of the primary price cap. The group was hit with a tremendous, and can face testing restrictions in the course of the 2022 season in consequence.

The Oscar Piastri saga

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Driver motion — or the “silly season” — is a big a part of F1. With solely 20 seats to go round, the competitors for these spots is big, and an enormous underlying theme of the collection.

It is called Drive to Survive for a cause, buddies.

With that backdrop at all times in place, one story that may possible command some consideration is the battle between Alpine and McLaren for Oscar Piastri’s providers. Piastri is among the racing world’s up-and-coming stars, and he received the F3 Championship in 2020, and the F2 Championship in 2021. As a member of Alpine’s driver academy, he served as a reserve driver for Alpine on the F1 degree throughout 2022, however he additionally was made out there to drive for McLaren in a reserve capability as a consequence of an settlement between the 2 groups.

In June of 2022, nevertheless, experiences surfaced that Piastri would drive for Williams in 2023, below a mortgage settlement with Alpine. At that point Alpine anticipated transferring forward with Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon as their two drivers for one more 12 months. Later that summer time, when Sebastian Vettel introduced his retirement on the finish of the season, Alonso made the choice to take his spot at Aston Martin for 2023, opening up his spot at Alpine.

As a end result, Alpine introduced that as a substitute of driving for Williams, Piastri would slide into the now-vacant seat at Alpine. The announcement, nevertheless, gave the impression to be lacking one thing.

Confirmation from the driving force himself.

Perhaps there was a cause for that, as a result of Piastri took to Twitter to make one thing clear:

The matter ended up earlier than FIA’s Contract Recognition Board (CRB), and in September the CRB dominated that Piastri was not below contract with Alpine, and free to signal with a special group. Almost instantly Piastri signed with McLaren as a reserve driver, contingent on the group coming to phrases on a contract termination with one among their present drivers, Daniel Ricciardo.

That settlement was reached, and Piastri can be behind the wheel for McLaren this coming season.

While we is not going to see him racing on this season of Drive to Survive, the collection will possible dive into the controversy.

Life comes full circle for Daniel Ricciardo

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Speaking of Ricciardo.

The first season of Drive to Survive lined numerous totally different storylines, however Ricciardo was a giant focus. It would find yourself being his remaining season with Red Bull, because the Australian made the choice to depart Red Bull and signal with Renault (now Alpine) for the 2019 marketing campaign.

Since leaving Red Bull, Ricciardo’s F1 profession has largely underwhelmed. He spent two years with Renault, along with his finest end a third-place lead to 2020 on the Eifel Grand Prix. Ricciardo then moved to McLaren for the 2021 season, and whereas he lastly broke via with a win at Monza within the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, it will be his solely win over two years at McLaren.

Now, as famous, he’s out at McLaren, and is returning to Red Bull for the 2023 season.

In a reserve position.

Not solely is his profession coming considerably full circle, so too would possibly Drive to Survive.