Inside Drive to Survive Season 8: Producers Reveal the Epic 2025 F1 Stories

As Formula 1 gears up for the 2026 season, Netflix's Drive to Survive Season 8 revisits the thrilling 2025 campaign, with producers sharing insights into its production and standout narratives.

The season captures a three-way title fight between McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen, culminating in a dramatic Abu Dhabi finale. Co-Executive Producer Tom Rogers highlighted the drama: “There’s a joke in an episode towards the end of the season, ‘Was this scripted by Netflix?’ It really didn’t matter to us which way the chips fell last year. If Max had done it, you’d have had the greatest comeback of all time... Then, with Lando or Oscar, either way it was going to be somebody’s first title.”

Executive Producer James Gay-Rees emphasized Norris' arc, tracked by the crew since his 2019 debut: “The Lando story is mega... He’s a special character, Lando, because he does wear his heart on his sleeve, even for us. I think he’s so authentic... That’s why he’s got such a huge following.” McLaren's cooperation, from CEO Zak Brown to the drivers, was instrumental, as was capturing Verstappen's resilient comeback “with a bit of a smile on his face and a sense of humour.”

Beyond the championship, subplots abound: Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari move, Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes promotion, Carlos Sainz's Williams switch, and rookie challenges with six newcomers, including two dismissals by round six. Rogers detailed access to Jack Doohan's Alpine saga: “Jack’s emotion in his interview to us after losing the Alpine seat is a really human moment... It’s an incredibly challenging thing for anybody to go through.” Christian Horner's mid-season Red Bull exit was another key focus, approached with balance: “You’ve got to be very careful, because there’s always two sides to every story.”

Innovations include a Las Vegas episode shadowing team principals—McLaren's Zak Brown, Mercedes' Toto Wolff, Ferrari's Fred Vasseur, and Red Bull's Laurent Mekies—revealing their weekend roles. Rogers noted: “A Team Principal’s role... is something that maybe we haven’t seen much of before.” This ties into pivotal moments like McLaren's disqualification controversy and Verstappen's resurgence.

With 78 episodes across eight seasons, Gay-Rees reflected on the grind: “Such a great F1 season doesn’t necessarily mean the show’s any easier to make... But I do think this season is very watchable... There’s something for everyone this year.” Rogers added that it's geared toward new fans, boosting the sport's growth, much like F1 The Movie. Season 8 premiered on Netflix February 27, 2026, priming viewers for the Australian Grand Prix March 6-8.