5 drama scenes in Drive to Survive season 5

• Netflix offers Drive to Survive season 5 is full of intrigues
• Red Bull driver Max Verstappen a while back explained why he was never a part of the four previous seasons
• He was turned off by fake rivalries created to net a bigger audience

Creating non-existent rivalries in Formula One has a mixed effect as Netflix offers Drive to Survive season 5.

If you’re doubting, here is some truth. Red Bull driver Max Verstappen a while back to explain why he was never a part of the four previous seasons. He said that the Netflix docuseries has an urge to wrongfully portray F1 drivers to net more viewers. It is the first time he features in the Netflix series after years of refusal over what he says is an unfair portrayal of its characters who are his fellow Formula One drivers.

For instance, the previous season of Drive to Survive showed Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz at odds with each other while it was not the case. In Drive to Survive season 5, Verstappen had a sit-down with Netflix executives to air his concerns. With the latest season out, here are the takeaways.

Max Verstappen. Photo by Planet F1

FELLOW F1 BOSSES ON TOTO WOLFF

People weren’t wrong in predicting that F1 team principals’ meeting in Canada would be the season’s highlight. Wolff, the Mercedes team principal hit the roof over porpoising which dogged the W13 throughout the season.

A visibly agitated Wolff told fellow principals that he was ready to go out for them if Lewis Hamilton crashed into a wall. This followed Hamilton’s bumpy ride in Baku. Interestingly, no one took him seriously because they thought it was a stunt in front of the cameras. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner rubbished this threat.

THE OTHER SIDE OF MATTIA BINOTTO

Engineer Mattia Binotto and former Ferrari team principal has a soft side to him. He talks of Ferrari’s future and his consequent exit while chauffeuring Haas team principal Guenther Steiner to his Trentino vineyard for some wine-tasting.

The series gives the ideal storyline for how Binotto slipped from king to perceived clown over the course of 2022. Drive to Survive season 5 episode 1 revolves around the rising fortunes of Haas and Ferrari. It captures Ferrari’s grind to the top and Binotto tells Steiner of the stress and expectation management a team boss has to grapple with every season.

CHRISTIAN HORNER CONFRONTING MATTIA BINOTTO OVER COST CAP

Red Bull’s cost cap had to come up with none other than team principal Horner riling up Binotto. The first rumblings about the team exceeding the spending cap in 2021 emerged in Singapore as Max Verstappen and Red Bull drew closer to winning both championships.

The only way the team and driver knew how to respond to the rumours was to come out fighting. Horner came down hard on Wolff and Binotto who were discussing the issue. He said that it was part of a wider strategy to trash Red Bull’s accomplishments.  Verstappen concurred, by telling Horner in the garage that Red Bull’s rivals are sore.

GUENTHER STEINER ON MICK SCHUMACHER’S NECK

Mick Schumacher. Photo by AutoSport

Steiner’s scathing running commentary veers into the realm of nastiness as Schumacher’s problems in Azerbaijan continue. The Haas team principal doesn’t have very kind words for the German driver who radio in complaining of heating brakes.

Steiner using curse words says Schumacher doesn’t need to brake because he’s moving so slowly. He doesn’t mince his words after the race telling him to his face that he was really slow.  It is one of the highlights of Drive to Survive season 5.

MICK SCHUMACHER AND HIS INFAMOUS CRASH

In Episode 2, Steiner refers to Gene Haas, the proprietor of Haas, stating that what puts him off most is a driver crashing his car. This followed Monaco’s crash where Schumacher came out looking beaten.

Haas found it extremely painful to witness Schumacher wreck two of his chassis in the first seven races of the 2022 season. A painful yet entertaining episode of Drive to Survive season 5.  After Schumacher’s first significant accident in Jeddah, Haas asked Steiner over a phone call to have a conversation with Schumacher. He felt that the German driver was doing things off his head.

Steiner warns that there would be consequences if he doesn’t change. His metaphor for this shows the seriousness of the whole situation.