Netflix recently revealed the release date for its sixth installment of the mega docu-series Drive to Survive. Like always, it will feature the best moments of the 2023 season, with behind-the-scenes access exciting fans all over. It will release on February 23, 2024, and there are certain things fans can expect from this season of DTS.
Drive to Survive season 6 releases on the last day of pre-season testing ahead of the 2024 F1 campaign. The timing is perfect, as it will hype the fans up before what everyone hopes will be a memorable F1 season. The show also comes out exactly a week before the Bahrain GP – the first race of the season.
In season 6, the world will have a glimpse of how Max Verstappen dominated the F1 grid in 2023. While Red Bull and Verstappen fans will enjoy this, others may get bored at the lack of competitiveness up front. Apart from this, the constant struggles of Ferrari and Mercedes, the rise of McLaren, and the unexpected rise and fall of Aston Martin could also be seen along with Williams and AlphaTauri’s resurgent stories.
Given below are some of the stories that fans can expect from season six of Drive to Survive:
Max Verstappen’s Dominance
The 2023 F1 season was historic for Max Verstappen. The Dutchman took 19 wins in 22 races and claimed a staggering 575 points, 12 pole positions, and 21 podiums. He broke Sebastian Vettel’s record of winning nine consecutive races, by crossing the line in P1 on 10 successive occasions.
After this success in 2023, Verstappen now has 54 race wins and is now placed third in the list of most Grand Prix wins of all time behind only Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher. He also single-handedly won Red Bull the constructors’ championship. His 575 points were more than what Mercedes – who were P2 – amassed throughout the season.
For fans of the sport, it will be interesting to have a closer look at the Red Bull camp while Verstappen was easing to all those wins.
Oscar Piastri’s Impressive Rookie Season
The 2023 season was monumental for Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver made his F1 debut with McLaren after they engaged in a legal battle with Alpine the previous year. The French team wanted Piastri to drive for them, but he was adamant about switching to Woking.
In the end, McLaren won the case in court and Piastri got to race in papaya overalls. The battle for the Melbourne-born driver proved to be worth it as Piastri impressed everyone with his exceptional skills right from the start.
There were other rookies on the grid too. Nyck de Vries, of AlphaTauri, however, was sacked midway into the campaign whereas Williams’ Logan Sargeant scored points just once in the 22 races. Unsurprisingly, Piastri won FIA’s Rookie of the Year award at the prize-giving gala in Baku.
He scored 97 points, got two podiums, and won a sprint race which led to a P9 finish. He wasn’t quite as good as Norris who finished sixth, but gave the Briton a run for his money. The team dynamic at McLaren, especially between Piastri and Norris could be one of the most exciting aspects of Drive to Survive season 6.
Is Daniel Ricciardo coming for Sergio Perez’s seat?
Red Bull’s second seat was also a huge topic of discussion throughout the 2024 season. Max Verstappen’s dominance meant that Sergio Perez was completely lost in the Dutchman’s shadows. His performances were particularly underwhelming, and he scored less than half the points Verstappen did.
This led to rumors of the Mexican driver losing his Red Bull seat. One of the major names that came up was that of Daniel Ricciardo, who joined their sister team midway into the campaign. Fortunately for Perez, Christian Horner and Helmut Marko insisted that Perez’s seat was safe – at least until his contract runs out in 2024.
The tension in Sergio Perez’s camp was probably the only hiccup Red Bull faced in an otherwise flawless 2023 season. Want to see how they dealt with it? Tune into Drive to Survive on 23rd February.
Williams’ Comeback with Alex Albon
Albon lost his Red Bull seat at the end of the 2020 season and spent a season on the sidelines. In 2022, Williams gave him a shot, and a year later, he has started doing wonders for the Grove-based team. He claimed 27 points for a team that had been a backmarker for a long time.
As for Williams, they roped in ex-Mercedes strategist James Vowles from Mercedes and although they have a long way to go before they’re competitive again, the signs are good. Albon seems like the perfect driver to lead this ambitious project, and the team made some big strides, finishing the year P7 in the constructors’ championship.
Albon was a well-acclaimed star in the previous installments of DTS, but this time, he will be talking about a whole new environment and a whole new goal he is chasing.
Mercedes’ battle for the silver medal with Ferrari
Similar to 2022, Mercedes had a fight to the finish with Ferrari once again. Unfortunately for both teams, this wasn’t for the championship. Instead, they were fighting for P2 in the championship. In 2022, Ferrari got the better of Mercedes but this was reversed in 2023.
Their battle was exciting, and although the on-track action wasn’t fierce, their developmental race was engaging. It took some time for Ferrari to catch up to the Silver Arrows, and the Maranello-based team narrowly missed out on P2 in the standings.
In this installment of DTS, we can expect Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur to talk about their respective 2023 seasons. At the same time, they will also likely shed light on their hopes and ambitions for 2024, just a week before the actual season kicks off.
