Drive to Survive best bits

‘Twas the night before bingemas, when all through the house, not a McLaren supporter was stirring, not even a Speedy Kiwi. 

As the hit series prepared to take over our screens for the fifth time, we went back through the previous four seasons and picked out some of our favourite moments so far. In no specific order and entirely open to debate, here’s what we selected.

Have we made any glaring omissions? And once you've watched Season Five, let us know on social media what you would add using #FansLikeNoOther.

Season 1, Episode 2

Drive to Survive introduced a new generation to Formula 1, meaning we got to show off the McLaren Technology Centre and its history all over again. Several of our favourite McLaren cars feature, as do some now recognisable faces – albeit a few years younger. Who can you spot?

Not everyone in the team immediately took to it… still adjusting to the influx of camera operators in the garage, our driver at the time, Fernando Alonso, was quoted as saying: “So many people, so many cameras.”

Season 1, Episode 2

Alonso quickly came around to the increased exposure and was shown interacting with some young karters at the Spanish Grand Prix, where he discusses his passion for go-karting and tells the story of how he fell in love with racing at a young age.

However, he wasn’t convinced he could still fit in one of the karts, telling the cameras: “They want us to do a lap in these, but we cannot fit in the seats. Too small!”  

Season 2, Episode 3

We entered a new era in the second season of DTS with a driver pairing of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz, who became affectionately known as “Carlando”. As a pairing, the duo offered several sensational on-camera moments across two seasons as teammates.

We got our first taste of their friendship in DTS Season Two. While using their microphones as golf clubs, the pair are asked to high-five everyone before going on stage. A concerned Lando questions what would happen if he “got left hanging”. Laughing, Carlos replies: “That would be a good start to our season together!”

Season 3, Episode 8

The bromance continued to blossom throughout Seasons Two and Three, although their friendship was put to the test when Carlos kicked a chair from underneath Lando as he went to sit down. Lando was nearly sent flying, but he remained upright and took it well, and the whole situation left him in a fit of laughter. 

Season 2, Episode 3

Carlos provided one of our all-time favourite DTS moments in Season Two. Shortly after moving to England, the Spanish-born driver went shopping in a British supermarket and attempted to buy the ingredients for chicken fajitas.

The outing didn’t start brilliantly as he complained about the lack of sunshine in Surrey, but it then got worse when he struggled to find fajita mix. “I’m gunna be depressed,” he says as he walks down several aisles searching for the mixture.

His misery is compounded when he discovers he might have to settle for the shop’s own-brand fajita mix. A helpful staff member points him in the right direction – although they perhaps should have stayed by his side, given he is later unable to find the boot of his car to put away his shopping.

Season 3, Episode 2

The celebrations captured by the Netflix crew as Lando took his first podium for us at the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix were incredibly heart-warming and an example of the series at its emotional best. He clinched third in the year’s opening race, making it an ideal beginning to the season, and Lando elates: “It was a dream start, something I never dreamt of.”

Season 3, Episode 2

Lando’s quick-witted responses during the four seasons of DTS have played a part in cementing him as a fan favourite among F1 supporters. One such example was during a COVID temperature check, where he was told: “Sorry, you will have to wait. You're way too hot.” Without skipping a beat, Lando replies: “That's just the way I am.”

Season 4 Episode 5

After nearly 10 years without a win, the team took a historic one-two at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix. “The most exciting 53 laps I’ve had in motor racing,” says Zak Brown, beaming, and we can’t help but agree with our CEO. Our victory at Monza was a moment to be savoured, and the Netflix crew captured some brilliant behind-the-scenes footage of the joyous celebrations in the garage and on the pitwall. 

Season 4 Episode 5

The victory in Monza led to CEO Zak Brown’s first (and, going by his response, last) tattoo. “People are saying you get addicted to tattoos, it ain’t me. I think I’ll stick with the one,” he says. He might not have enjoyed it, but Zak was true to his word, honouring his tattoo bet with Daniel Ricciardo.

Season 3, Episode 5

DTS has always done a great job of providing unique insights into a driver’s life away from a grand prix, and ahead of Daniel Ricciardo joining our team, the cameras spent some time with him back home in Australia. If DTS has taught us anything, its that all drivers have incredibly cool hobbies: during a day spent with Ricciardo, we see him dance, box, and, most notably, take a dune buggy for a spin. We also got our first taster of Daniel and his trainer, Michael Italiano's hilarious relationship, and several sights of that trademark Ricciardo smile. 

Season 3, Episode 1

Why would you need to warm up if you’re going to do a warm-up lap in the car? That’s Lando’s belief, anyway. In a hilarious exchange during behind-the-scenes filming, Lando was asked to perform a warm-up, but he wasn’t keen. “I don’t do warm-ups, I get too tired before I get in the car,” he says. “My warm-up is on the out-lap.”