For years, Formula E was the “quiet” alternative to the roar of Formula 1. It was a series often dismissed by purists as a niche experiment in electric mobility. However, as the 2025 season draws to a close, the narrative has shifted dramatically. Formula E is no longer just about sustainability; it has become one of the fastest-growing and most fiercely competitive motorsports on the planet. With the introduction of the Gen3 cars, the machines are faster, more unpredictable, and arguably more demanding than ever before. But as the new Amazon Prime series Driver (Season 2) reveals, the real electricity isn’t just in the batteries—it is in the volatile personalities and heartbreaking human stories that fuel the grid.
The series, which serves as the Formula E equivalent to the famed Drive to Survive, pulls back the curtain on a world that is surprisingly gritty, deeply emotional, and at times, incredibly toxic. For fans currently enduring the Formula 1 off-season, Driver offers a masterclass in motorsport storytelling that proves these drivers are every bit as talented—and twice as dramatic—as their F1 counterparts.
The Redemption of Racing’s Greatest Villain
The most polarizing storyline of the season centers on Dan Ticktum. To many casual racing fans, the name Ticktum is synonymous with “villainy.” Years ago, during his junior career, Ticktum committed the cardinal sin of motorsport: he deliberately crashed into an opponent behind a safety car in an act of hot-headed revenge. That moment branded him for life, and despite his undeniable raw speed, he became the driver everyone loved to hate.
In Driver Season 2, we see Ticktum in a new light, though not necessarily a “softer” one. Racing for one of the less competitive teams on the grid, Ticktum’s frustration is palpable. The series captures his unfiltered, often “grating” personality. He gets angry when things go wrong; he displays a level of unprofessionalism that would make a PR manager sweat; and he remains unapologetically himself.
Yet, as the episodes progress, something strange happens to the viewer. You find yourself rooting for him. The series manages to peel back the layers of his “bad boy” persona to reveal a man who is hyper-aware of his reputation but driven by a desperate, obsessive need to prove his talent. In 2025, finally handed a car capable of fighting for wins, the “villain” begins to deliver. It is a fascinating study of character—showing that even in the high-stakes world of professional racing, there is room for the complex, the flawed, and the genuinely misunderstood.
Civil War at Porsche: When Teammates Collide
While Ticktum provides the individual drama, the Porsche team provides the collective chaos. In a storyline that feels as old as the sport itself, Driver documents the total breakdown of the relationship between teammates Pascal Wehrlein and António Félix da Costa.
Both men are Formula E World Champions. Both are at the peak of their powers. And both are fighting for the same 2025 title in the same car. What the cameras capture behind the scenes is nothing short of a “toxic melodrama.” In the world of Formula 1, we often see teammates like Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri maintaining a veneer of professional respect even during a title fight. At Porsche, that veneer was stripped away.
The series captures the two drivers letting it rip in front of the cameras, being brutally honest about their mutual dislike. The tension in the garage is thick enough to cut with a knife, leading to on-track clashes and a descent into absolute toxicity. It is a high-stakes power struggle that eventually leads to a shocking conclusion: the team simply isn’t big enough for both of them. One of these champions has to go. This “classic motorsport story” of two alphas in one cage is a highlight of the series, offering a raw look at the psychological warfare that happens when your biggest rival shares your data.
The Apprentice and the Master: Taylor Barnard and Oliver Rowland
In stark contrast to the toxicity at Porsche is the relationship between the grid’s newest star and one of its most respected veterans. Taylor Barnard, the 21-year-old rookie who “easily could have been in Formula 1,” entered the 2025 season and immediately began shattering records. As the youngest ever pole-sitter and podium finisher in the sport’s history, Barnard represents the future.
However, the emotional core of the series belongs to his mentor, Oliver Rowland. Rowland’s story is one of the most moving human narratives in modern sport. Unlike many drivers who come from immense wealth, Rowland’s path was paved with sacrifice. Coming from a humble background similar to Lewis Hamilton or Esteban Ocon, Rowland’s career was a family effort. His father was his biggest advocate, his mechanic, and his financier in the early days.
The tragedy of Rowland’s life is that he lost his father at the age of 19, right as his career was reaching a tipping point. Driver follows Rowland as he battles for the 2025 title, reaching the pinnacle of success in a world his father helped build for him, but isn’t there to see. It is a story of grief, legacy, and the silent weight that many athletes carry when they cross the finish line. Rowland also plays a pivotal role as a mentor to the next generation, including Arvid Lindblad, who is set for an F1 debut in 2026. This “master and apprentice” dynamic adds a layer of depth to the racing, showing that the paddock is not just a place of competition, but a community where knowledge is passed down through the generations.
Why Even the Skeptics are Watching
For many, the hesitation to watch Formula E stems from a lack of “soul” in electric racing. Driver Season 2 effectively dismantles that argument. By focusing on the “human element”—the anger of Ticktum, the betrayal at Porsche, and the grief of Rowland—the series proves that the propulsion system of the car is secondary to the heart of the person behind the wheel.
The quality of the field in 2025 is undeniable. These are drivers who, given the right circumstances, could be fighting at the front of any Formula 1 grid. The series captures the exhilarating, high-speed street circuits where one centimeter of error results in a season-ending crash.
As the holidays approach and the motorsport world goes quiet, Driver on Amazon Prime is the perfect remedy for the “racing itch.” It is a series that isn’t afraid to be messy, emotional, or shocking. It reminds us that behind the helmets and the high-tech sensors, there are human beings fighting for their legacies, their families, and their sanity. Whether you are a die-hard fan or a total skeptic, the melodrama of the 2025 season is a journey well worth taking. Formula E has finally found its voice, and it is louder—and more human—than anyone expected.
