Drive to Survive is again for season 7, and it is absolute catnip to folks like me who had been transformed to Method One followers because of the hit Netflix present. It is even geared me up for a 4 a.m. GMT begin for the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.
I am considered one of many for whom having some narrative context behind the vroom vrooming and enigmatic helmet-clad figures made F1 really feel accessible to me for the primary time. The reality is that I might’ve by no means fallen in love with the game if I hadn’t had the possibility to get to know these good-looking boys and their high-stakes on-and-off-track squabbles, long-running friendships and rivalries. It is the one actuality TV I watch, and higher than any cleaning soap opera. Lengthy might it proceed.
Charles Leclerc at Silverstone.
Final season appeared (in so some ways) to be probably the most chaotic F1 season in latest historical past, and Drive to Survive haphazardly captures it from all angles. It was much more thrilling for me watching it on reflection, on condition that this was the primary yr I made it to Silverstone (albeit for a follow day), and consequently I now know what it feels prefer to be on the receiving finish of an IRL smile from Ferrari’s resident heartthrob, Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc is about to have competitors within the heartthrob stakes this yr as a consequence of a dramatic transfer documented early on this season of the present. In case you missed it — Lewis Hamilton saying that he would lastly half methods with Mercedes to maneuver to Ferrari prompted a dramatic recreation of musical chairs. For these of you who aren’t F1 superfans, because of this there shall be an injection of recent blood into the F1 world for this upcoming season.
Even greater information within the F1 world had been the allegations of sexual misconduct lodged towards Purple Bull Workforce Principal Christian Horner, during which a feminine worker accused him of “controlling habits” and sexual harassment. This resulted in Horner being suspended by the group. Drive to Survive tackles this up prime within the season, alongside Hamilton’s transfer, however dedicates not more than 20 minutes to the revelations and subsequent investigation during which Purple Bull cleared Horner of inappropriate habits.
On condition that Netflix captured the second Horner finds out his alleged WhatsApp messages with the girl have been leaked to each F1 group principal, you can be forgiven for imagining the present may dedicate extra time to it — not as a result of it is salacious — however as a result of it is severe stuff.
It is finally disappointing to see the producers seemingly brush the scandal below the rug on the earliest alternative, and fail to make use of it as a chance to delve into what are undoubtedly a few of the challenges of being a lady on this closely male-dominated sport.
Horner has his likelihood to speak to the cameras, however the producers do not seem to have prolonged a chance to the feminine worker to inform her facet of the story. After which the scandal isn’t talked about once more. The Purple Ball chief will get extra display time than nearly anybody else because the season continues to play out.
Maybe happily for Horner, there is a new contender for largest paddock villain this yr within the type of Flavio Briatore. An Italian businessman, Briatore has returned to F1 after 15 years following an earlier profession within the sport that was dogged by dishonest allegations. Now he is again, and from behind his tinted sun shades (with their orange frames that appear to mirror the glow of everlasting tan) he is decided to play kingmaker for group Alpine.
The drama continues to play out on observe as McLaren ends Purple Bull’s run of success within the Constructor’s Championship, and little Lando Norris finds his ft as a severe contender to doubtlessly dethrone Max Verstappen within the driver standings.
Norris does not get probably the most sympathetic portrayal on this season (because of his rising status as an F1 playboy), and but I could not assist however really feel sorry for him given his apparent discomfort with the media and a few of the extra intrusive elements of the job. I also have a begrudging respect for Verstappen who continued to dominate on observe, regardless of the actual fact his two poisonous dads — organic father Daddy Jos and F1 father Daddy Christian — had been in a big-time struggle for a lot of the yr.
One of the best episode of this season is the one during which Netflix provides telephones to the drivers as they journey to and compete within the Singapore Grand Prix to file their very own footage. The concept of Lewis Hamilton vlogging from his mattress on the morning of the race feels fully unbelievable, however some drivers took the project significantly. None extra so than Hamilton’s former Mercedes teammate George Russell (the F1 driver who I believe can be probably to learn CNET) who provides us fixed Alan Partridge-esque, behind-the-scenes commentary in a method that spells untapped YouTube profession.
Amid the chaos, this season of Drive To Survive appears like the top of an period — and never simply because Hamilton has left Mercedes and Purple Bull’s run of unmatched success appears to have run its course. There’s an actual altering of the guard within the forged of characters featured on the present, with charismatic personalities like Daniel Ricciardo and Guenther Steiner (each of whom make for good TV) signing off.
Whether or not the batch of incoming younger rookies shall be as infinitely entertaining as goofy duo Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda had been of their early F1 days stays to be seen. Proper now, on the daybreak of the 2025 season, they’re most likely extra frightened about how their on-track performances will measure up. However selfishly, I hope they discover their groove off observe too, and reveal one thing of themselves to the cameras for season 8. Whether or not it seems that they are attainable sociopaths, class clowns, unlikely softbois or one thing in between, I am right here for all of it.
