The two-minute Drive to Survive trailer previews all the major storylines and welcomes back Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen.
The 2023 Formula 1 season returns in a couple months, but Netflix is here to help ease the anticipation. The streaming giant dropped the trailer for Formula 1: Drive to Survive on Thursday, with a scheduled season 5 release date of Feb. 24.
One major change from season four that the trailer shows right off the bat? The reintroduction of reigning world champion Max Verstappen. The Red Bull racer famously didn’t sit down for any original interviews last year, telling the Associated Press in March 2022 that Netflix “faked a few rivalries which they don’t really exist.” It looks like the Dutchman had a change of heart, because Netflix confirmed he’ll be a part of the next 10-episode installment, even giving a minor clue in the above video.
Overall, the nearly two-minute trailer teases a number of major storylines, from the budget cap debacle that dims Red Bull Racing’s 2022 success to Oscar Piastri’s contract fiasco between McLaren and Alpine. Similar to past seasons, Netflix microphones and cameras are planted everywhere, taking you inside cars and giving you inside access to personal conversations between racers, personnel and family.
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The 2022 British Grand Prix at Silverstone is a surefire set-up for some major plots to unfold in the first half of the season, but of course we start at the beginning with the Bahrain Grand Prix. Drive to Survive reminds us of how concerned Red Bull was in Bahrain. It even hints at issues and irritation that the media didn’t cover and that athletes didn’t disclose at the time.
It’s safe to say Formula 1 has caught on to the American audience even faster than we may have anticipated. Fans are traveling in droves overseas to watch the likes of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc duke it out on the track. The show’s impact even encouraged race organizers to add a new Grand Prix in 2023: Las Vegas on Nov. 18. The other North American circuits include the Miami Grand Prix (May 7), Canadian Grand Prix (June 18), United States Grand Prix (Oct. 22) and Mexican Grand Prix (Oct. 29). The season kicks off in Bahrain on March 5 and concludes in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 26.
James Gay-Rees reprises his role as executive producer of Drive to Survive alongside Paul Martin, producer of the renowned documentary Diego Maradona – for Box-to-Box Films.
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