No plans this weekend? Well, get ready to start your engine because we have a binge-watch you’ll speed your way through.
Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive—which offers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the drivers of the Formula One World Championship—is arguably one of the most gripping docuseries in recent history, revealing rivalries, covering crashes and deep-diving into the racers’ personal lives. And it’s finally back for its fifth season, which dropped on Feb. 24, and details all the behind-the-scenes drama that went down in the paddocks during the 2022 season.
Some highlights from the new season include Max Verstappen‘s quest to defend his title after his polarizing win against seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton, the huge regulation changes that shook up the sport and a fan-favorite driver’s exit from the grid…and possibly Drive to Survive‘s sixth season. (Don’t worry, people, Toto Wolff vs. Christian Horner‘s rivalry is still prevalant, along with more classic one-liners from Guenther Steiner.)
Sure, the public already knows how the 2022 season ended and who won, but that has never stopped the series from being one of the online streaming giant’s most successful releases and has helped Formula One establish a massive fanbase in the U.S., so much so that Las Vegas will be hositing a race this year, in addition to Miami and Austin.
“It’s quite unbelievable, people’s reactions,” executive producer Paul Martin told The New York Times in July 2022 of the overwhelming response to Drive to Survive. “Our show only works because, actually, the sport’s an incredible spectacle. It is incredibly dramatic and tense. There’s mistakes, and there’s huge characters. Our show only shines a light on what’s there.”