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The fifth season of the hit Formula 1 docuseries, Drive to Survive, has just been released on Netflix.
As with past seasons, the series’ latest entry has re-ignited our love for F1 — just in time for the 2023 F1 season’s first race in Bahrain. But, like so many binge-able series, we raced through Drive to Survive Season 5 faster than Charles Leclerc at Baku, and now we’re itching for more racing content to watch between F1 races.
Related: How to Watch F1 Online
Luckily, there are a few other great shows like Drive to Survive — including racing series and fantastic docuseries following other sports — to tide us over until DTS Season 6 comes out next year. Plus, there are also some excellent books and movies about F1 that any fan is likely to eat up.
Shows Like Drive to Survive: Best Sports Docuseries Shows
Below, we’ve rounded up some of these shows like Drive to Survive, including details on where to watch each series online.
1. Grand Prix Driver
Before Drive to Survive, Grand Prix Driver gave us an inside look at F1 through the McLaren team during their 2017 season (with narration courtesy of Michael Douglas). At the time, the team had suffered through three years without a win and was making changes to get back on their feet. Their biggest move was bringing rookie driver Stoffel Vandoorne to the team alongside Fernando Alonso, who already had his two championships at that point.
2. Le Mans: Racing Is Everything
Whether you’re a longtime fan or just getting into Le Mans — an annual, 24-hour endurance race held in France — Le Mans: Racing Is Everything is a great way to learn more about the world’s greatest sports-car race. Besides introducing new fans to the race’s ins and outs, the docuseries provides behind-the-scenes access to six teams as they prepare for race day.
Buy Le Mans: Racing is Everything on Amazon
3. All Or Nothing
Want to go behind the scenes of other professional sports? Check out All Or Nothing. The series follows a single sports team each season, with features from soccer, American football, hockey, and rugby. For example, in a recent season, the show followed the Argentinian national soccer team on its journey to the World Cup in Qatar.
4. Hard Knocks
Hard Knocks — one of the longest-running sports documentary series — follows a different football team’s training camp each season as they prepare for the upcoming NFL season. Like Drive to Survive, fans get inside access to each team’s preparation work, difficulties, and conflicts.
5. The Test
Cricket is the world’s second most-watched sport (after soccer), but many of us Americans don’t even understand how it’s played. The Test makes for a great entry point. Now in its second season, the docuseries follows the Australian Men’s Cricket Team. The team was once one of the best in the world, but they faced hardship in the late Teens that saw them fall from the top. This series follows their reinvigoration under coach Justin Langer.
How to Stream F1 Online
In addition to watching shows like Drive to Survive, you can also start tuning into the races live as they happen this year.
There are a few ways to watch F1 online, outlined in our streaming guide here, but two of our favorite services for streaming races are F1 TV and Sling. F1 TV gets you livestreams of every race, as well as access to official data during each race like timing, audio clips, and real-time telemetry. After a seven-day free trial, F1 TV costs $9.99 a month or $79.99 annually if you pay for a year upfront.
Live TV streaming service Sling, on the other hand, gets you access to F1 race streams via ESPN and ESPN 2 simulcasts. But, unlike F1 TV, your subscription to Sling also delivers dozens of other popular live TV channels. A Sling Orange subscription (the service’s package with ESPN and ESPN 2) costs $40 a month.
Best F1 Movies and Books
1. Schumacher & Schumacher
Until the meteoric rise of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher was unquestionably the greatest F1 driver of all time. The documentary Schumacher & Schumacher explores the legendary racer’s life, looking at both his record-breaking professional career and his off-track thrill-seeking.
Buy Schumacher & Schumacher $4.99
2. Rush
With a star-studded cast, Ron Howard at the helm, and a Hans Zimmer score, Rush is a great watch for F1 fans. The biopic chronicles a rivalry between F1 superstars James Hunt and Niki Lauda (played by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, respectively), which culminates at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix.
3. Formula 1: The Official History
If you’ve been keeping up with Drive to Survive, you’re well acquainted with the modern F1 scene. But there’s a 70-plus-year history behind the sport that doesn’t get much attention in the acclaimed show. This book, Formula 1: The Official History, gives a complete account of the sport’s fascinating history.
Buy Formula 1: The Official History $20.57
4. Formula One Circuits from Above 2022
Every F1 circuit has its own character, and knowing more about each track can make watching the sport all the more interesting. This 2022 edition of Formula One Circuits from Above delivers extensive imagery and information about each track, including their strengths, difficulties, and histories for different drivers.
Buy Formula One Circuits from Above 2022 $29.95
5. The Mechanic: The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane
One of the great things about Drive to Survive is the access it gets us to the pit line — an integral yet often overlooked aspect of F1 racing. Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley, a former top mechanic for McLaren, outlines the workings and importance of a pit team, and gives his unique perspective on F1 as a whole, in this book.
