Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 5 arrives after the biggest F1 rules and regulations overhaul ever: The cars zipping along the track in the international racing league may look similar to the old ones, but they’ve been kitted out with new tech and rebuilt from the ground up. While the new rules permit cars to follow each other closer — read: more drama — they also result in devastating turnouts. The drivers face unforeseen issues in their radically different whips at the start of the 2022 season, like mid-race engine stalls and fires. Which team will barrel their way through to take home the World Championship? The new season hits Netflix Feb. 24.
Horner, the most tenured team principal in Formula 1 and a former driver, comes into the season with a renewed sense of purpose after Max Verstappen took home the World Championship in 2021.
You can follow Horner on Instagram.
Belgian-Dutch driver Verstappen, who didn’t participate in Season 4, is back again this season to provide commentary. The unstoppable driver swapped his No. 33 for a No. 1 — which is fitting, now that he’s the reigning world champ.
You can follow Verstappen on Instagram.
Pérez spent the majority of last season (his first on the team) getting acclimated to his new surroundings and supporting Verstappen’s fierce rivalry with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Since then, he’s had a number of high finishes that have helped Red Bull in their battle against Mercedes for the top spot.
You can follow Pérez on Instagram.
At the beginning of Season 5, Italian engineer Binotto commiserates with Guenther Steiner about just how difficult it’s been to lead an F1 team since he started with Ferrari in 2019. He considers Red Bull to be Ferrari’s top rival, but his team’s struggles in the latter part of the 2022 season deal a crushing blow to Binotto and his future with the sport.
In his fourth year at Ferrari, Leclerc thinks this is the year to rack up wins for Ferrari — and to become world champion. But their success hinges on the results of the 2022 Miami Grand Prix, where Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz have the best chance to beat Red Bull — and put a stranglehold on the World Championship title.
You can follow Leclerc on Instagram.
To help Leclerc maintain his early season hot streak, Madrid native Sainz realizes the pressure is on to not take a single wrong step — which proves difficult with Pérez on his heels at every turn. With a number of podiums under his belt, will he finally nab a win?
You can follow Sainz on Instagram.
As Season 5 begins, Mercedes takes a major hit when the new cars roll out and jeopardize their wins. Wolff reaches a boiling point in his attempts to recover the losses, address the cars’ technical challenges and keep his team from succumbing to the morale drop.
Hamilton, who became the first driver to achieve 100 pole positions and 100 race wins, had an unforgettable 2021 season. However, the winningest F1 driver and seven-time champion incurs some setbacks with his new car in Season 5 that may inhibit his streak.
You can follow Hamilton on Instagram.
After a difficult third year at Williams, Brit driver Russell moved over to Mercedes and took Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas’ place. But with Hamilton’s shaky start to this season, Russell is feeling the heat — and needs to pick up the slack if Mercedes intends to win big.
You can follow Russell on Instagram.
New to Team Alpine, affable Romanian-American Szafnauer is a motorsports vet. With more than three decades of experience, Szafnauer joins the French team after departing Aston Martin abruptly last season after 12 years. His No. 1 objective is to lead Alpine back to winning ways.
You can follow Szafnauer on Instagram.
Alpine’s 2021 season exceeded expectations largely due to Ocon securing a win at the Hungarian Grand Prix. This season, Ocon and teammate Fernando Alonso have high hopes of catching up to McLaren and Ferrari.
You can follow Ocon on Instagram.
After a year away, two-time world champion and self-proclaimed antihero Alonso made a radiant return in 2021, capturing the podium in Qatar. But this season — his last — proves a difficult one for the veteran driver as he battles against technical issues in his final year with Alpine.
You can follow Alonso on Instagram.
Brown, a former driver and McLaren’s current top boss, made headlines in 2022 that span Season 5: f
irst, when discussing Daniel Ricciardo’s future with Formula 1. He was in the news again when he penned an open letter to the sport’s governing body suggesting teams exceeding their budget cap — a rule that recently went into a place to create more equality across the league — constituted cheating.
You can follow Brown on Instagram.
Eight-time Grand Prix winner and former Red Bull driver Ricciardo is in his second season with McLaren. Despite cinching the one-two at Monza last season (the only one of the year) alongside teammate Lando Norris, the Australian showboat scrambles to find his footing on track.
You can follow Ricciardo on Instagram.
In his fourth year at McLaren, Norris is once again paired with Ricciardo after a 2021 season that saw him regularly outperforming his teammate. While the duo fell short of P3 last season (Ferrari took it), the Belgian-British driver plans to lead the team back to the top in Season 5.
You can follow Norris on Instagram.
The first Chinese competitor in Formula 1 history, former Formula 2 driver Guanyu is new to both the league and to Alfa Romeo. As he starts the season though, his safety is put on the line.
You can follow Guanyu on Instagram.
Though you’ll only catch a glimpse of Bottas in Season 5, the Finnish driver is new to Alfa Romeo: He was swapped for Russell for the 2022 season after five years at Mercedes.
You can follow Bottas on Instagram.
In his second year at Aston Martin, Stroll is not featured in Season 5, nor is the team’s new team principal, Mike Krack.
You can follow Stroll on Instagram.
In 2021, four-time back-to-back world champion Vettel left Ferrari after six years to join Aston Martin. The veteran driver (whose presence this season is minimal) fails to rack up points in 2022 — which leaves his future in Formula 1 hanging in the balance.
You can follow Vettel on Instagram.
The ever-beleaguered leader of Formula 1’s sole American team, Steiner is determined to recover from a rocky 2021. But Season 5 doesn’t ease up: Amid the conflict with Ukraine, Steiner releases Russian Nikita Mazepin from the team (as well as Nikita’s dad, Dmitry, who’s also their financial backer) — Mazepin recently returned to racing, scoring podium at Asian Le Mans — hesitantly welcomes Kevin Magnussen back to Haas and contends with Mick Schumacher’s slew of losses.
The son of seven-time world champion F1 driver Michael Schumacher, former Formula 2 driver Mick Schumacher made his F1 debut alongside Mazepin in 2021. With a new teammate and a series of costly crashes as the season amps up, will he rack up enough points to stay afloat?
You can follow Mick Schumacher on Instagram.
After his absence in Season 4, when he was released after four years with the team, Magnussen has returned, taking Mazepin’s spot. Steiner says it’s a risky choice — Magnussen hasn’t been in an F1 car for a year and used to constantly butt heads with Steiner — but since he was last on Haas, the Danish driver insists his mindset has changed for the better.
You can follow Magnussen on Instagram.
AlphaTauri’s team principal since 2005, Tost is still trying to keep AlphaTauri driver and wild card Yuki Tsunoda disciplined and focused. He’s also figuring out the next steps in preparation for an end-of-season departure.
2020 Italian Grand Prix winner Gasly had an incredible 2021 season, finishing ninth overall. But he’s yet to win a championship with AlphaTauri. As Season 5 progresses, the rumor mill stirs about a potential transfer for the 2023 season.
You can follow Gasly on Instagram.
The Japanese driver, one of the most hotheaded drivers in the league, is in his second season with AlphaTauri and still very much in a rookie mindset — and has only gained a handful of points. Luckily, he and Gasly have become good friends on and off track — but their time together on the team may be short-lived.
You can follow Tsunoda on Instagram.
Capito’s goal since joining Williams in 2021 has been to bring Williams back to some semblance of its former glory. With his background in the World Rally Championship, Capito applies his can-do attitude and incisive leadership to a team in serious need of a morale boost.
You can follow Capito on Instagram.
In 2021, Albon served as a Red Bull test and reserve driver. While not prominently featured in Season 5, he’s rejoined F1 to take a seat on Williams.
You can follow Albon on Instagram.
Latifi is in his third year at Williams. You might catch him in Episode 1, but the Canadian driver is otherwise absent from Season 5. Nicholas has since left Williams.
You can follow Latifi on Instagram.
