Just in time for the start of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, the trailer for season five of the popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” series on Netflix has dropped.
The new season is coming to the Netflix streaming service on Feb. 24 and will focus on the events that happened in 2022. While F1's 2022 season ultimately saw Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen come out on top, there were early flashes of competitiveness from Ferrari and plenty of struggles at Mercedes-Benz AMG.
F1 management confirmed last May that "Drive to Survive" would continue for fifth and sixth seasons. The show relies on close cooperation from F1 and the teams to allow a high level of behind-the-scenes access. Strong ratings, especially for season four, which documented the close championship fight between Verstappen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, has helped grow F1's popularity.
The show is particularly popular in the U.S., which this year will host three races and see U.S. driver Logan Sargeant drive for Williams. U.S. automakers are also returning to the sport, with Ford recently announcing a partnership with Red Bull Racing and General Motors announcing that it is looking to launch a team with Andretti Global. The team would be the second U.S. team after Haas.
Nevertheless, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has said the Netflix series' future isn't guaranteed, noting in a 2022 interview that "Drive to Survive" must add value to F1 to continue. So a lot will ride on how this latest season is received by viewers.
As for the new season of F1, most teams have now revealed their car designs. Official pre-season testing gets underway on Feb. 23 at Bahrain International Circuit, home of the Bahrain Grand Prix. The first race will also take place in Bahrain. It's scheduled for March 5.
