It’s lights out, and away we go! The Kardashians of racing are back on Friday, March 7, with a new Formula 1: Drive to Survive season. Fans are looking forward to the dramatic retelling of the 2024 season—one may even say, overdramatic retelling. With its heavily edited content, seeing how many moments are blown up or mashed down will be interesting. If the trailer is any indication, there are quite a few storylines we can look forward to.
Before we break down the key moments that caught our eye, take a look at the trailer below:
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1. RedBull’s Troubled Waters
Seems like the wheels are starting to come off, but I don’t want to jinx it. As someone who is not a fan of Red Bull or how they treat their drivers who aren’t Max Verstappen, I’m looking forward to watching this team potentially get their just desserts. Not to mention, we finally see some of the call out, regarding the FIA’s favoritism towards the team.
There have been countless times when drivers and leadership have crossed lines, and nothing was done about it. Whether it is Verstappen’s overly aggressive driving when he starts to feel the pressure (Proof: Verstappen v. Norris Austria) or something beyond just racing issues, the only thing I have to say about the issues beyond racing is that Christian Horner should not be given a platform to gain sympathy or manipulate others.
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2. Norris Trumps Verstappen
McLaren is getting a lot of attention this season due to its historic win and some dramatic moments that focus on rivalries and strategy. I can guarantee that Drive to Survive will focus on the Verstappen vs. Norris rivalry, even though both drivers have made it inexplicably clear, especially during pre-season testing for the current season, that they aren’t sworn enemies.
It also seems that Drive to Survive will try to stir the pot regarding Norris v. Piastri. The trailer, where the focus pans from Norris to Piastri, with the voiceover talking about every man for himself, clearly indicates that some strategic position swaps are bound to come under scrutiny. It’s only right, since social media ripped apart the team’s strategy, deeming it unfair to both drivers (Hint: it was).
However, let’s just take a minute to appreciate Lando Norris. To go from 0 wins to being a contender for the championship with four wins under your belt in the last half of the season is quite the feat.
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3. Danny Ric
After last season’s disappointing treatment of Danny Ricciardo’s farewell, I’m hopeful we will hear his side of the story, especially considering Netflix used him for clickbait in the trailer. If we do, hopefully, he will tell it in the true Danny Ric fashion, which is full of sly comments, laughter, and charm.
No, but Daniel Ricciardo deserved a proper send-off, not just a rumored decision announced after the fact. The Honey Badger put in over a decade of time, commitment, and energy into this sport – not to mention the injuries, and to be sent off without an acknowledgement? Wrong. By all accounts wrong.
Daniel deserved to be doing donuts, getting pats on the back, feeling the butterflies, and popping champagne. What did he get? He got a genuine Red Bull boot, aka, win or leave. He isn’t the only one who got a Red Bull boot, as Sergio Perez said farewell after the season ended.
So while dropping people isn’t out of the ordinary for the most obnoxious team on the grid, it is painful to watch happen to someone so beloved.
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4. Who Controls You?
“I control you every millimeter”
Let’s give a round of applause for the most ominous and probably the most heavily edited and out-of-context line this show has provided us. I genuinely don’t know what to say about this other than it’s strange, and honestly, if I were Doohan, I would also look concerned if senior leadership said that to me.
This sport, despite the contracts and the obligations, doesn’t mean you have to sell your soul. These drivers are under watch and scrutiny all the time, and most of them are young – very young. They lose out on their youth because of stress, pressure, and the scrutiny of being in the public eye.
It may be naive of me to believe that sport should be enjoyed at all levels. Despite the purpose of professional sports focusing on wins, there is more to life than that. It’s about the athletes you shape and their mindset that make you the overall champion. So it concerns me about the overall mental health of the athletes in any sport, but particularly this one.
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5. Lewis Hamilton in Red
Sir Lewis Hamilton was always dressed to impress. Whether it’s a statement piece or just casually looking the most put-together, his fashion choices never disappoint. Social media calls his paddock to walk the F1 version of the Met Gala – so I think the crown belongs to him.
In this case, Lewis pulled out a statement piece about where he was going next. Dripped in all red, it’s clear Hamilton is on his way to Ferrari, and Drive to Survive ate this up. We already know that Drive to Survive will cover this storyline from not only Lewis’s POV but also Toto Wolff’s.
While the media has been pushing the narrative of negative vibes between Hamilton and Wolff, I’m pretty sure F1-75 at the O2 quashed all those rumors. We could see Toto and Susie approaching Lewis immediately as he arrived, and we saw them chatting it up quite amicably.
Other drivers, ehm, Alex Albon, also commented about why they think he switched teams. While we have to wait to see how all these interviews are compiled in context, it’s fair to say everyone has an opinion on the GOAT’s switch. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone says and means – always remembering the excessive drama Drive to Survive tries to create for views.
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6. Guenther. Steiner.
Guenther. Steiner. That’s it. That’s all I really have to say.
From watching the TikTok of his daughter participating in the “watch my dad” trend to his comments and commentary on races throughout the seasons, he is one of a kind. Hilarious and genuine, I look forward to hearing his take on the future and the track’s current racing climate.
7. 16 & 55
It is the end of an era. The Kardashians of Formula 1 are parting ways. It’ll be interesting to see how they portray the split in this season of Drive to Survive, especially since the trailer failed to give the story any lead time.
I’m hoping we will get a little more of a personal touch in terms of Charles’ progress. More importantly, I want to hear Carlos talk about how he valued his performance in comparison to his teammate, especially since he is the one who had to leave. While Charles did come out on top in the Driver’s Championship, Carlos definitely closed the gap. Some would say Carlos is too good to play second fiddle, but not top seat just yet.
While it makes sense Carlos landed on his feet at Williams, especially after everything he had been through, from his appendix to other harrowing incidents, it’ll be interesting to hear what he thinks. Whether it’s about Ferrari’s seat management or strategy, down to just how tough the sport is, I look forward to his story.
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Love it or hate it. Agree or disagree. Formula 1 serves the most divided and united fronts that many audiences experience and I am here for the ensuing conversation.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 7 premieres Friday, March 7, on Netflix.
