From the title fight to hassles at Haas: The highlights of Drive To Survive

Last Friday, the fourth season of the Netflix series Drive To Survive came online. A ten-part series about the past Formula 1 season. In recent years the creators of the series could count on praise, but also considerable criticism. For example, special and important moments in the season are missing. Yet there are also many highlights that were covered this year. This is a top five of the best moments in this season of Drive To Survive.

Warning: This article contains spoilers about what takes place in this fourth season of Drive To Survive!

5. The great contrast in the Haas garage.

Every season there is an episode centered on the American team, and this episode almost never disappoints. Guenther Steiner's swearing, the hopes for points, and the tensions within the team make for a great episode every year. With an entirely new lineup, it was questionable whether this year would provide another spectacle, but it certainly did.

Netflix did a great job of portraying the contrast on both sides of the garage in this year's episode 4. The peace and tranquility on Mick Schumacher's side, versus the turmoil and panic on Nikita Mazepin's. The Russian's team thinks he is being treated unfairly, and Dimitri Mazepin even threatens to end the sponsorship contract early in the episode.

4. Tsunoda's learning curve at AlphaTauri

Last season it was already known that Yuki Tsunoda was not entirely comfortable at AlphaTauri. Many mistakes and few points were obtained by the Japanese driver. As a result, he had to move to Italy to be more directly involved with AlphaTauri. Featured in episode 7 is the process Tsunoda goes through, from leaving Milton Keynes to finding his niche in Faenza. He doesn't mince words and therefore regularly causes hilarity, but also tension because of his coarse language over the on-board radio to his team.

3. Russell's contract with Mercedes

Episode 8, the episode about the second seat of Mercedes had something in common with last season, when the second seat at Red Bull Racing was discussed. Then too, an episode was dedicated to it, ending with Christian Horner's call to Sergio Perez. This season it was between George Russell and Valtteri Bottas. Ever since Sakhir 2020, their rivalry has been a topic of conversation, which was also discussed at length in the episode.

Imola also passed by, of course, with Russell knocking out both drivers in the first corner. Finally, the episode shows how Russell's second place in Belgium seemed to be the deciding factor for the seat. The episode concludes with a conversation between Wolff and Russell, in which the Briton gets confirmation that he will be a Mercedes driver in 2022.

2. The comeback of Williams

We'd almost forget that last season was the first time Williams didn't start with someone from the Williams family as team boss. Claire Williams stepped down from her spot in 2020, for Jost Capito. This year, in episode 6, we watch as Williams fight for their first points since 2019 and the motivation they have to find the way up. We also get to see what pressure Dorilton Capital, the owner of Williams, puts on the team to deliver performance.

It gives an insight into a team that fans don't normally get much of. Capito explains, among other things, how, as a straggler, you keep motivating your team to keep fighting for points and how they always try to adjust their strategy so that they have the best chances. So it's nice to see how the team experienced the Hungarian Grand Prix, where they scored their first double points finish in a long time.

1. The building rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton.

What Netflix has done well is to highlight the rivalry between the two titans in multiple episodes. It starts in episode 1 Bahrain, where the two are still "sweet" with each other. Then Silverstone and Monza come along in episodes 3 and 5, where the two hit each other. The last two episodes it is clear that things are serious and there are no more boundaries.

Despite the absence of 1-on-1 interviews with Verstappen in the series, you do get to see how the Dutchman stands in the title race. However, the Red Bull driver is portrayed as the reckless driver by Mercedes, including Lewis Hamilton himself. The series concludes, how could it be otherwise, with that last round in Abu Dhabi. The emotions, the actions and the disappointment are all perfectly portrayed and that was certainly the highlight of this season of Drive To Survive.