Formula 1 season five: Dirir Para Viver ‘forgets’ Brazil by covering the year the idols retired or were left without a contract
The approach of Formula 1: drive for a living it’s completely drama-oriented, and we all know it. Entering its impressive fifth year as a niche product to an incessantly canceled service, Netflix he didn’t have to make much effort since, in addition to the easy victory of Max Verstappen, of Red Bull, there was no shortage of crying and gnashing of teeth in this circus of speed.
As always, this year’s premiere covers the events of the last one, with a more intimate look at Formula 1 competition in 2022. This time, and perhaps more than ever, drive for a living it looks like a real “continuation” of the previous season, with the aftermath of the controversial decision of the last race and the Dutch driver’s first title still looming in the rear-view mirror.
The initial spotlights, of course, are on Verstappen, but also on Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff, respectively driver and director of the Mercedes team. And the seven-time world champion’s speech about returning to seek the title that was taken away from him in 2021 is the hallmark of this start to the season, even if, by far, his only goal.
They are Wolff and Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull, the protagonists of one of the most tense and, in some ways, unexpected moments of season 5 of drive for a living. The heated discussion about problems with the car at the beginning of the season generates a lack of control like few others have seen in the figure of the leader of the Silver Arrows and highlights a sense of unease at the idea that the previous leaders may now be far away from above.
Uneasiness, by the way, is the big watchword in a season more than ever focused on uncertainties and changes in the Formula 1 roster. While in the real world transfers only start to be a theme in the second part, F1: drive for a living it carries this feeling of insecurity from its first episodes.
This happens both directly, as in the episode on Mick Schumacher’s difficulties aboard his Haas, and indirectly, with Mattia Binotto, Ferrari team leader, among the first protagonists.
Anyone who has followed Formula 1 knows what happened and the reasons behind the decisions made at the end of 2022; drive for a living shows, however, that the so-called “dumb season” begins long before pilot and executive transfers hit the news.
This is also one of the strengths of the documentary series. By playing with real sports figures, Netflix also provokes the viewer who knows the outcome of all those stories, creating hooks and expectations that make the documentary seem, many times, a well-scripted fiction. In 2022, incidentally, it didn’t even take much effort to achieve this.
One cannot, for example, not react when Otmar Szafnauer, from Alpine, talks about the millionaire investment made on the pilot Oscar Piastri, or every time we see the concern and pursuit of the always smiling Daniel Ricciardo. Most importantly, the criticized sensationalism of previous seasons was also left behind, with these and other stories simply not requiring the production to try to artificially raise the tone for what appears on screen.
“Netflix effect”
Out of the people, the big stage of the fifth season of F1: drive for a living it is, without a doubt, the Grand Prix of Miami, in the United States. There are four episodes with an emphasis on the events of the American race, which was by no means one of the best of the season, but which undoubtedly highlights the atmosphere of fun and competitiveness that has been perceived in the production since its inception , with clear reflections in sport.
The montage is eye-catching, with Season 5 once again taking on the dynamic of going back and forth between rehearsal and narrative moments with a beginning, middle and end. Also in this case the series is not meant to be a summary of the races or a list of results, but this time the push and pull between events that took place in different teams in the same race does not cause the strangeness of previous years, with a more accurate cure with this “out of service” history.
There is something to criticize about it though, with a strange variation of frame rates per second in the images, especially in the first three episodes. On higher resolution televisions it is possible to perceive this difference between the images captured from the race, from the pit wall and the testimonies of the drivers, recorded in a more cinematic way – probably a reflection of the different sources used in the composition of the chapters, between recordings of the own Netflix and official Formula 1 footage.
What it lacked in technical aspect, however, it more than made up for in approach, with the streaming service proving that it knows very well what its audience likes. This is mainly reflected in the figure of Günther Steiner, head of the Haas team, who becomes the closest we have to a protagonist in drive for a living.
It is he who opens the fifth year of the series and the episode focused on his team appears at the very beginning. It is thanks to him that the aggressive exchange between Wolff and Horner takes on even more interesting contours and, in some moments, there are also certain exaggerations, with his appearances in moments in which he is not even involved. But we can’t complain too much, as we’re talking about one of the most peculiar figures and the team with some of the strongest histories in recent years in Formula 1.
Yuki Tsunoda, of Alpha Tauri, is another crowd favorite who is gaining a lot of space, as is Ricciardo himself. The production comments on it drive for a living it simply would not exist without the former McLaren driver are reflected in a touching episode that almost serves as a tribute to the career of the athlete that configures one of the highlights of the season.
They don’t call us
Contrary to this cure, however, it is inexplicable to realize that, for another consecutive year, the Brazilian Grand Prix barely appears. Interlagos Autodrome is an all time favorite with racing drivers and has played host to some of the sport’s most iconic moments, not to mention some electrifying moments that have taken place here in recent years. For drive for a livinghowever, it is as if nothing had happened.
Just as the magic wrought by Hamilton in Sao Paulo in the 2021 race was not seen, so was the first victory of George Russell, of Mercedes, and a major event off the track, with the seven multiple champions receiving from the Chamber of Deputies the honorific title of Brazilian citizen precisely for the goals achieved the previous year.
Not to mention, of course, the pole position of Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, which we hope will serve as a warning to Netflix to pay more attention to the Interlagos race in the coming years.
Equally inexplicable, again, is the lack of a tribute due to Sebastian Vettel, the four-time Formula 1 champion who ended his career in 2022, racing for Aston Martin. The truth is that he appears little in the series, with the great (and deserved) homage to Ricciardo which leaves a strange aftertaste when the same treatment is not granted to the German driver — yes, he retires, unlike his colleague, who he leaves his intention to return to the category is clear and he has every chance to do so next year.
Whether it’s a lack of arm to cover all aspects of Formula 1 or poor script choices, the leaks show some gaps that fans have been asking Netflix to fill for a few years. These are mistakes that cloud the creative potential of drive for a living and that could transform an already highly regarded and successful product into an even better category document.
Is the fifth season of Formula 1: Drive for a Living worth watching?
Despite the obvious and unexplained slip-ups, the new Netflix year of production features some of the most interesting stories of its entire journey. It also appears to be the most comfortable time of production in the past five years, with a well-crafted script and interesting connections, plus real-world drama that kept its directors happy.
Brazilian fans and Vettel will join in the moans and complaints about the absence of Interlagos and the idol in the season, while the correct edition and attention to the characters are very accurate in the elements that are actually shown. There is a lot of room for improvement, especially as regards the range of the series, but here it is a question of improving even further a product which has been doing very well for years and demonstrates growing quality.
The fifth season of F1: drive for a living it has 10 episodes available on Netflix.
Trending on Canaltech:
- The sky is not the limit! | Asteroids, ancient supernova, Venus surface and more
- The study indicates the minimum daily time of physical activity to maintain health
- MIT develops 3D printed heart that mimics patient anatomy and function
- Check out the Salary Guide for IT Professionals in 2023
- Netflix releases during the week (03/03/2023)
Source: Terra

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.