Netflix have confirmed Formula 1: Drive to Survive will return for an eighth season, covering Lando Norris’ championship win, Christian Horner’s Red Bull exit and Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari debut from the 2025 campaign
Formula 1 enthusiasts won’t have much longer to wait before the new series of the hugely popular Netflix show Formula 1: Drive to Survive drops. Now entering its eighth season, the globally acclaimed docu-drama will launch ahead of the 2026 campaign, offering exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from some of last season’s most dramatic moments.
The camera crews who spent 2025 following the action at circuits worldwide certainly weren’t short of compelling storylines to capture. Most significantly, viewers can expect fresh revelations about the period surrounding Christian Horner’s shock departure from Red Bull after two decades at the helm, a bombshell that sent shockwaves through F1.
Additionally, there will be coverage of Lando Norris‘ championship triumph, despite trailing team-mate Oscar Piastri for much of the season in the drivers’ standings.
A key element of that narrative was the Red Bull’s strong late-season car development and McLaren’s errors which, together, enabled Max Verstappen to mount a late championship challenge that pushed the British driver all the way to the wire.
Other likely storylines may include the Red Bull driver changes that dominated headlines at both the start and end of the 2025 season, legendary designer Adrian Newey’s first year working at Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton’s miserable debut campaign at Ferrari, and Jack Doohan’s removal from Alpine in favour of Franco Colapinto.
Fans won’t have to wait much longer for an inside look at the sport’s biggest storylines. Traditionally, new series have been released at 8am GMT on a Friday, exactly nine days before the start of a new F1 season. Netflix has now confirmed that there will be no break from convention this time around.
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Both the streaming service and F1 announced on social media on Wednesday that the eighth season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive will be available worldwide on February 27 – nine days before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on the first weekend of March.
Box to Box Films will again produce the programme, which has been widely credited with significantly boosting F1’s global popularity. The show has won praise for featuring the sport’s biggest and most compelling personalities, though some are no longer involved in F1, including self-styled ‘villain’ Horner and former driver Daniel Ricciardo, a genuine fans’ favourite.
However, the programme has also faced criticism, including from some prominent figures within the sport, regarding how it presents certain stories. Verstappen is among those who have publicly suggested the show’s editing doesn’t always provide an accurate representation of how some events actually unfolded.
It remains unclear whether Formula 1: Drive to Survive will return for a ninth series. However, Netflix cameras have kept rolling throughout the off-season in expectation of receiving approval for a series documenting the 2026 campaign.
Sky Sports launches discounted Formula 1 package
Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifying and race live with Sky’s new Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in a new deal that saves £192.
As well as Sky Sports access, this includes more than 100 TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.
