Video: ‘Drive to Survive’ season six teaser

The official teaser for the latest Drive to Survive season – the behind-the-scenes documentary series on the inside world of Formula One racing – has been released by Netflix.

The hugely popular series – which has been credited for a significant rise in Formula One’s global popularity, particularly with younger
audiences – is set to return at 7:00pm AEDT on 23 February 2024.

Directed by James Gay-Rees, who also produced the Academy Award-winning Senna documentary, the ten-episode Drive to Survive season six takes an inside look at the 2023 Formula One world championship.

Yet the latest series’ release shows how rapidly the sport has changed with a feast of controversies since filming ended in late 2023.

The teaser shows Guenther Steiner – whose profanity-laden truth bombs made him a standout in season one in 2019 and one of the most popular personalities in the pit lane – who was unceremoniously sacked as Haas F1 Team boss in January 2024.

For Australians, 2023 saw Melbourne’s own Oscar Piastri come to the fore in his debut season – including a remarkable ‘Sprint’ race win –
as a respite from the somewhat hit-and-miss return of fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo took the place of Dutch driver Nyck de Vries, also prominent in the teaser, as is Otmar Szafnauer – who was dumped as Aston Martin
team principal before the Belgian Grand Prix in July despite the team’s meteoric progress early in the year.

The 2023 world champion Max Verstappen’s boss, the hugely successful Christian Horner, is also the subject of controversy as season six
airs, given the recent allegations against him by a former employee of the Red Bull Racing team.

Yet there’s even greater irony in the voice of Mercedes-Benz team boss Toto Wolf uttering, “Formula One is brutal” in the teaser.

The biggest bombshell in recent years came in January 2024 – again, post-season six’s creation – with Wolff’s star driver Lewis Hamilton
leaving Mercedes for Ferrari in 2025.

There are still more than enough storylines to nourish salivating fans awaiting the first Formula One Grand Prix of 2024 – which takes
place in Bahrain on 2 March – with the sold-out Australian Grand Prix taking place in the third round of the 2024 season from the 22nd to 34th of March.

The roots of Hamilton’s decision to make a late-career switch to Ferrari should be evident, given the seven-time world champion – and
Ferrari, ironically – chose not to participate in season one of Drive to Survive in 2019.

Sadly – or gladly for some fans – three-time champion Verstappen decided not to take part in earlier seasons and has not changed his mind for season six.

That’s what makes Drive to Survive must-see viewing for many, shining a spotlight on the lesser-known battles and storylines often overshadowed by those up front – all with the benefit of hindsight.