IN RECENT YEARS, Formula 1 has risen from being strictly the domain of avid motoring enthusiasts to become a genuinely global sport with a diverse fan following. Nowadays, even friends you thought were staunchly ambivalent about motorsports can dutifully regale the key moments of a previous season and understand the storylines driving each member of the grid. For proof, ask a few of your mates for their take on Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari. You’ll be shocked to find that even the most sports-averse have passionate views to opine.
Netflix’s hit docudrama series Drive To Survive has played a crucial role in F1’s ascension to global phenomenon status. The show has served as an introduction to the sport for a demographic who never really gave it much thought beforehand, garnering vast swaths of new fans and contributing to surging interest in F1 worldwide.
It is the highly restricted nature of F1—in which cars are more visible than those driving them and access to what’s going on behind closed doors is always limited—that has made Drive To Survive so popular. By providing fly-on-the-wall footage of the biggest moments happening behind the scenes, Drive To Survive has proven that F1 is just as dramatic as any other sport. As a result, a new season of the series is always heralded by eager anticipation from fans. Luckily, they don’t have much longer to wait.
On the eve of the show’s new season, we take a look at what to expect, the degree of Australian involvement and everything else you need to know about Drive To Survive season 6.
Has a trailer been released for Drive To Survive season 6?
It sure has. The first trailer for Drive To Survive season 6 was released on Wednesday, and you can watch it below.
What will Drive To Survive season 6 be about?
The 2023 F1 season was more one-sided than ever before. Max Verstappen won 19 of the 22 races and ran away with the driver’s championship. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, added another two wins to his team’s tally. There’s no way around it, Red Bull dominated. So don’t expect Drive To Survive’s sixth season to feature an abundance of back-and-forth contests for the top spot on the podium.
The battle for second place, however, was often far more thrilling. Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin battled throughout the year to nab the second-best spot in the constructor’s championship. Ferrari eventually beat out Mercedes for second place, by a meagre margin of only three points—sorry, spoilers! Look for that matchup to feature heavily.
The episode guide from Drive To Survive season 6 has already been released. And from that, we can begin to understand what action the new season will hold. We’re going to place a spoiler warning here, in case you’re the kind of person who prefers to completely ignore the previous F1 season and catches up on it through Drive To Survive.
Early in the season, viewers will get an insight into the turbulent rookie campaign of AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries. Those not living under a rock will know that de Vries’ story will not have a happy ending, as he was replaced at AlphaTauri by Daniel Ricciardo midway through the season.
Episode three will focus almost entirely on McLaren. Specifically on the team’s early struggles before a midseason resurgence. The bulk of the episode will follow Lando Norris as he weighs his options as to a potential team switch, reflecting the conflicting relationship in F1 between driver’s loyalty to their team and what’s best for themselves.
What is perhaps the most anticipated moment of Drive To Survive season 6 will occur in episode six. The episode will feature an in-depth look at Lewis Hamilton’s expiring contract saga. Hamilton’s final decision is now well known, but there’s a moment in the trailer where the Englishman tells Toto Wolff that while the Mercedes boss will be with the team for the foreseeable future, Hamilton may not. Knowing that saga will have a spectacular conclusion makes the episode a must watch.
Will Aussies feature in Drive To Survive season 6?
INSTAGRAM | @oscarpiastri
Both of the Australian drivers who were on the F1 grid in 2023 will feature in season six of Drive To Survive. With episode three focusing on McLaren, Oscar Piastri is guaranteed to feature. Expect the Australian’s red hot form towards the end of his rookie season to take centre stage.
Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo will feature even more prominently, with an entire episode dedicated to his return to the grid. Episode nine, titled ‘Three’s a crowd’ will detail Ricciardo’s role as Red Bull’s third driver before showcasing his triumphant return to the grid with AlphaTauri. The episode could also provide some indication of where Ricciardo’s future might take him. A brief interaction during the trailer shows a visibly impressed Red Bull team member reacting to a lightning-quick test lap conducted by Ricciardo. “That lap he just did would’ve put him next to Max [Verstappen] on the grid,” they remark. Could a return to Red Bull be on the cards?
When is Drive To Survive season 6 coming out?
The wait for Drive To Survive season 6 is nearly over. All ten episodes will premiere on Netflix on Friday, February 23rd, just over a week out from the first race of the 2024 F1 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix.
INSTAGRAM | @danielricciardo
Related:
