No plans this weekend? Well, get ready to start your engine because we have a binge-watch you'll speed your way through.
Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive—which offers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the drivers of the Formula One World Championship—is arguably one of the most gripping docuseries in recent history, revealing rivalries, covering crashes and deep-diving into the racers' personal lives. And it's finally back for its fifth season, which dropped on Feb. 24, and details all the behind-the-scenes drama that went down in the paddocks during the 2022 season.
Some highlights from the new season include Max Verstappen's quest to defend his title after his polarizing win against seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton, the huge regulation changes that shook up the sport and a fan-favorite driver's exit from the grid...and possibly Drive to Survive's sixth season. (Don't worry, people, Toto Wolff vs. Christian Horner's rivalry is still prevalant, along with more classic one-liners from Guenther Steiner.)
Sure, the public already knows how the 2022 season ended and who won, but that has never stopped the series from being one of the online streaming giant's most successful releases and has helped Formula One establish a massive fanbase in the U.S., so much so that Las Vegas will be hositing a race this year, in addition to Miami and Austin.
"It's quite unbelievable, people's reactions," executive producer Paul Martin told The New York Times in July 2022 of the overwhelming response to Drive to Survive. "Our show only works because, actually, the sport's an incredible spectacle. It is incredibly dramatic and tense. There's mistakes, and there's huge characters. Our show only shines a light on what's there."
As you get ready to go behind the helmets and get a front-row seat to the intense pit stops in season five, we've got your guide to Formula One's biggest stars, including the rookies who are hoping to make a name for themselves and the veterans looking to box them out.
Here's your breakdown of the world's 20 most talented drivers, including who's feuding, who they're all dating (so many models, so little time!), who's switching teams and the driver whose contract was just terminated for the upcoming 2023 season, which kicks off in Bahrain on March 5.
Driver For: Mercedes
Age: 38
Instagram Followers: 31.5 million
Relationship Status: Currently single after romances with Nicole Scherzinger, Rita Ora and Winnie Harlow. He also reportedly dated Nicki Minaj, Sofia Richie and was last linked to model Camila Kendra in 2021.
Need to Know Facts: Um, he's arguably the best Formula One driver of all time? With seven wins, Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher for most World Drivers' Championships. He also holds the records for most wins, pole positions and podium finishes.
By far the sport's most well-known figure, Hamilton works with celebrity stylist Law Roach and counts Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union and Will Smith among his famous friends.
Hamilton is also the first, and so far only, Black driver in F1 history and the activist launched The Hamilton Commission, an initiative to improve diversity within Motorsport UK.
Driver For: Red Bull
Age: 26
Instagram Followers: 9.4 million
Relationship Status: Currently dating Kelly Piquet, the daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet and the ex-girlfriend of Verstappen's former rival Daniil Kvyat.
Need to Know Facts: At 17, he became the youngest driver to ever compete in a Formula One race and at 18 he was the youngest to win one, with many in the sport dubbing him the "Chosen One." The Dutch racer was the first person in years to give Lewis Hamilton some serious competition for the championship, with the two getting into a headline-making collision at the British Grand Prix before—spoiler alert!—Verstappen ultimately beat the seven-time champ in controversial fashion.
Though he infamously threatened to punch rival (yep, another one!) Esteban Ocon during a 2018 race, Verstappen has settled down over the years, adopting a calmer approach.
"You have to understand that if it's not your day, it's not your day, and you have to settle for a certain result," he explained to Red Bull. "It's more than just a one-weekend wonder. We have to make sure that even if we don't have a perfect weekend, we still score a lot of points. It's a different approach."
And he took an interesting one in season four of Drive to Survive, declining to sit down for interviews. But viewers can expect to see him answer producers' questions in the series' fifth installment.
Driver For: Ferrari
Age: 25
Instagram Followers: 9.9 million
Relationship Status: He was in a relationship with influencer Charlotte Sine, but the couple broke up in December 2022 after three years of dating.
Need to Know Facts: Just 3 years old when he began driving, LeClerc is one of the sport's up-and-coming stars. In 2017, he won an F2 race just four days after the death of his father, Herve LeClerc. He went on to win the championship title that year.
LeClerc is best friends with Pierre Gasly, with the two drivers meeting when they were just 5 years old.
Driver For: Ferrari
Age: 28
Instagram Followers: 6.2 million
Relationship Status: Reportedly dating Isabel Hernaez.
Need to Know Facts: The son of champion rally driver Carlos Sainz, he competed for three teams before achieving his ultimate goal.
"I have always pictured myself as a Ferrari driver," Sainz told The Race in March 2021. "I just felt close. I don't know why. It's a strange feeling. It's always been like that."
Driver For: Mercedes
Age: 23
Instagram Followers: 4 million
Relationship Status: In a relationship with Carmen Montero Mundt.
Need to Know Facts: After Russell started his career at Williams as one of the sport's biggest up-and-comers, Mercedes announced that he would be joining Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2022 season, replacing Valterri Bottas.
Driver For: McLaren
Age: 32
Instagram Followers: 7.7 million
Relationship Status: Reportedly dating actress Heidi Berger.
Need to Know Facts: The outgoing Aussie is one of the sport's most popular drivers and was one of the breakout stars from the Netflix series. Ricciardo made his debut for McLaren in season four after switching teams twice since the show premiered in 2019.
When it comes to the upcoming 2023 season, however, Ricciardo will not be on the grid after losing his seat to rookie driver Oscar Piastri, which means viewers likely won't see him in season six (though he is serving as Red Bull's reserve driver).
'Without Daniel I think there probably wouldn't have been a Drive to Survive," the show's executive producer Paul Martin told The Post about Ricciardo's position. "'He was the first driver that we talked to about it, the first driver that invited us to his home in Australia. I felt very emotional with him leaving."
Driver For: McLaren
Age: 22
Instagram Followers: 5.9 million
Relationship Status: He announced his breakup with influencer Luisinha Oliveira in September 2022.
Need to Know Facts: Heading into his fifth year at McLaren, Norris is still one of the sport's brightest young stars. But no, he didn't get his name from Star Wars, with Norris telling Google his mom "has never really seen" the franchise and it was "just something she came up with."
Driver For: Scuderia AlphaTauri
Age: 27
Instagram Followers: 3.8 million
Relationship Status: He is reportedly dating Portuguese model Francisca Cerqueira Gomes after his breakup with Katerina Berezhna last year.
Need to Know Facts: Gasly has overcome several setbacks—including being dropped mid-season by Red Bull in 2019—and tragedies, especially the death of his close childhood friend Anthoine Hubert, who was killed in a crash during an F2 race the same year.
In March 2021, Gasly penned an open letter about the impact Hubert's death had on him for the Players' Tribune, and opened up about the importance of mental health for athletes in a recent interview with The Guardian.
"People struggle to understand that we also feel emotions, we also have our ups and downs," he said. "It doesn't matter if you are successful or not, we saw it with Naomi [Osaka] in the tennis with the mental health issues. People outside see you as a driver and assume that is the only thing that goes through your head but you have a personal life, feelings and emotions."
After spending two seasons at AlphaTauri, Gasly is set to race for Alpine in 2023.
Driver For: Red Bull
Age: 33
Instagram Followers: 5.3 million
Relationship Status: He married Carola Martinez in 2018 and the couple have three children.
Need to Know Facts: In 2020, he broke the record for most starts before a race win when he took first place at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
Nicknamed "Checo," Pérez is an avid golfer, breaking out his clubs twice a week during the off-season. He launched The Checo Pérez Foundation, a charity that supports orphans and children with cancer, in his hometown of Guadalajara in 2012.
Driver For: Alfa Romeo
Age: 32
Instagram Followers: 3.6 million
Relationship Status: In a relationship with pro cyclist Tiffany Cromwell following his divorce from Olympic swimmer Emilia Pikkarainen in 2020.
Need to Know Facts: After driving as Mercedes' No. 2 behind Lewis Hamilton since 2017—his frustrations with the second seat position often documented in the Netflix series—Bottas made the move to Alfa Romeo for the 2022 season. As a fun bonus, his girlfriend designed the helmets for his new team.
Driver For: Alpine
Age: 41
Instagram Followers: 4 million
Relationship Status: In a relationship with Italian model Linda Morselli.
Need to Know Facts: Considered one of the sport's greatest drivers with two World Driver's Championships, he came out of retirement for the 2021 season. And Alonso, the oldest driver on the grid, made headlines when he announced he would be leaving Alpine to go to Aston Martin in 2023.
"It was because of the desire I saw on the part of Aston Martin to have me," Alonso explained to DAZN. "Perhaps that was missing with Alpine or the signs of affection that perhaps I did not have here."
Driver For: Williams
Age: 26
Instagram Followers: 1.8 million
Relationship Status: In a relationship with professional golfer Lily Muni.
Need to Know Facts: After a lackluster season at Red Bull in 2020, Albon found himself at Williams in 2022, which proved to be the right fit and resulted in a multi-year deal for the driver.
In a recent interview with GQ Sports, Albon revealed he has a Chipotle celebrity card, which gets him free burritos. "What did I do to deserve this? I don't know," he admitted. "I'm just very privileged."
Driver For: Haas
Age: 30
Instagram Followers: 1 million
Relationship Status: Married to Louise Gjørup since 2019.
Need to Know Facts: After being dropped from the grid by Haas in 2020, Magnussen made an unexpected return when the company announced on March 5 that it was cutting ties with their Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and team sponsor Uralkali because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that have come as a result. (The fertilizer company is partially owned by Dmitry Mazepin, Mazepin's father and a Russian oligarch, who reportedly invested $40 million into Haas.)
Driver For: Scuderia AlphaTauri
Age: 22
Instagram Followers: 1.3 million
Relationship Status: Unknown
Need to Know Facts: Currently the youngest driver on the grid, Tsunoda is stepping into a leadership role in his upcoming third year with AlphaTauri after his teammate and close friend Pierre Gasly moved to Alpine. Nyck de Vries is set to make his debut alongside Tsunoda in the 2023 season.
Driver For: Alfa Romeo
Age: 23
Instagram Followers: 776,000
Relationship Status: Unknown
Need to Know Facts: Guanya made his debut on the grid in 2022, he is the first Chinese driver to compete in Formula One. He's landed major endorsement deals with HSBC and Dior, with Guanya opening up about his interest in fashion.
"Formula 1 is a great platform, especially when you're walking down to the track wearing your own clothes," he told Hypebeast. "I don't have a stylist; I just pick what I like from my wardrobe. It's great that people can see a different side of me, and I think people really appreciate what I'm doing."
Driver For: Alpine
Age: 26
Instagram Followers: 1.4 million
Relationship Status: In a relationship with influencer and model Elena Berri.
Need to Know Facts: While many drivers come from wealthy backgrounds, Ocon's family sold their house and lived in a caravan in order to fund his early career.
"It was not an enjoyable time," he admitted to ESPN in 2019. "It was part of my life where my parents sacrificed massively and if I didn't perform it was over. I had a lot of pressure on my shoulders and I also had big responsibilities for my family, because if I did not perform we were going to be in trouble.
The sacrifice ultimately paid off, with Ocon winning his first Formula One race in August 2021, beating his longtime rival Max Verstappen.
Driver For: Aston Martin
Age: 24
Instagram Followers: 870,000
Relationship Status: In a relationship with model Sara Pagliaroli.
Need to Know Facts: So, Stroll's father, billionaire Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll, is part-owner of the team he races for, but that doesn't mean he isn't a talented driver in his own right: At age 18, he became the second-youngest competitor to finish an F1 race on the podium in 2017.
Driver For: Aston Martin
Age: 34
Instagram Followers: 2.6 million
Relationship Status: Married to Hanna Prater since 2019, the couple have three children.
Need to Know Fact: When he was 23, Vettel became the the youngest person to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship, going on to nab three more titles. The German athlete was the only F1 driver who is not on social media, until he joined it in July 2022 to announce his retirement.
"Next to racing, I have grown a family who I love being around. I've grown other interests outside of Formula One," Vettel said. "My passion with racing and Formula One comes with lots of time spent away from them, and takes a lot of energy. My goals have shifted from winning races and fighting for championships to see my children grow, passing on my values, helping them up when they fall, listening to them when they need me."
His seat at Aston Martin was filled by Fernando Alonso for the 2023 grid.
Driver For: Haas
Age: 23
Instagram Followers: 3.4 million
Relationship Status: Reportedly dating Justine Huysman.
Need to Know Facts: The son of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, he started his racing career under the pseudonym "Mick Betsch" to avoid drawing attention because of his father.
While he drove for Haas in the 2022 season, Schumacher lost his seat on the grid to Nico Hulkenberg, who is returning to F1 after a three-year hiatus.
"It was at times bumpy but I steadily improved, learned a lot and now know for sure that I deserve a place in Formula One," Schumacher wrote on social media. "The subject is anything but closed for me. Setbacks only make you stronger. My fire burns for Formula One and I will fight hard to return to the starting grid."
For the 2023 season, Schumacher will serve as McLaren's reserve driver.
Driver For: Williams
Age: 27
Instagram Followers: 632,000
Relationship Status: In a relationship with model and lawyer Sandra Dziwiszek.
Need to Know Facts: Latifi's billionaire father Michael Latifi has invested around $272 million in the McLaren group, while previously investing $36 million into Williams, which his company also sponsors. Some of Latifi's pop culture faves include Drake, Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and The Last Dance. And while he drives professionally, he revealed that he doesn't own a car.
For the 2023 season, Latifi will no longer be on the grid, with American driver Logan Sargeant taking his seat.
It's been the best journey," he wrote on Instagram last November, "and I have an immense amount of gratitude for everyone who has been a part of this."
Formula 1: Drive to Survive season five is now streaming on Netflix.
(Originally published on Sept. 4, 2021 at 4 a.m. PT)