What to expect from Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8 on Netflix

Ever since Netflix first invited us into the hyper-exclusive, ruthlessly competitive world of Formula 1, sports documentaries have simply not been the same.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive stripped away the corporate polish of the paddock to reveal the raw, unfiltered human drama that fuels the fastest sport on the planet. It traded dry post-race press conferences for hidden microphones, expletive-laden radio messages, and tense boardroom showdowns between rival team principals.

Now, the juggernaut series returns to our screens for its highly anticipated eighth outing, and it is safe to say the landscape of the grid has never looked so volatile.

Whether you know your soft tyres from your mediums, or you simply love high-stakes reality television, this latest instalment delivers the goods. From monumental career shifts to the bitter fight for survival at the back of the pack, we have rounded up the most gripping storylines to watch out for in Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8 dives into all the twists and hairpin turns of the 2025 Formula 1 season. Cast your minds back a few months to remember what happened, for the drama in the paddock doesn’t stop when the checkered flag falls.

Old and new fans of the sport can expect a recap of some of the most talked about moments from last season:

1. Title fights packed with pressure...

There is nothing quite like an underdog story, and the continued, spectacular resurgence of McLaren provides the latest series with some of its most thrilling, punch-the-air moments. Although Mclaren were breezing through the season with their dominating performance, Max Verstappen was in their rear-view right until the final race. Watch as team politics played a big role throughout the season, and how the championship title came down to the final race of the season.

2. Shock driver moves...

With only 20 seats up for grabs at the time, it can feel like a game of musical chairs sometimes, and this season was no different. With shock driver swaps and personnel changes behind the scenes, season 8 is sure to show fans just how high pressure the sport can be, both on and off the track. We see the sheer desperation of drivers fighting to keep their highly coveted seats for another year, or even the remainder of the F1 calendar.

3. Team Principal mind games...

Zak Brown, Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur are all names F1 fans are familiar with, and are the masterminds behind the drivers and the teams, but what goes on behind the scenes? Discover what goes on in the team garages, on the pit wall and beyond. The internal politics of deciding who gets the new car upgrades first, and who is given the preferential pit stop strategy, provides brilliant dramatic tension. 

4. Rookie breakthroughs...

The 2025 season brought a fresh batch of F1 drivers, all looking to make their way in the world of racing. Featuring six rookie drives, including Kimi Antonelli, Ollie Bearman, Isack Hadjar, Liam Lawson, Jack Doohan and Gabriel Bortoleto, fans get a glimpse into what it is like being a fresh face in the world of F1. The cameras follow the rookie drivers as they navigate the gruelling physical training regimes, the relentless, exhausting media obligations, and the terrifying reality of lining up next to their childhood heroes on a Sunday afternoon.

5. Survival at the back of the grid

Not all battles are on the front row, and this can certainly be said for the most recent season of F1. For midfield and backmarker teams like Haas, Williams, and Alpine, the battle is rarely about winning a gleaming trophy. It is about securing the crucial handful of championship points required to keep the factory lights on, satisfy the demanding sponsors, and secure millions of pounds in prize money. The documentary showcases the very real human effort required to keep these cars running.

Season 8 joins its predecessors as a Netflix exclusive series, which raced onto screens on 27 February 2026. With the first grand prix of the year taking place the following week in Melbourne on 8 March 2026, fans counting down the days until lights out can build up the hype in the perfect way.

All episodes of Season 8 will be available at once, meaning you can binge watch in a day or watch an episode a day until the 2026 season kicks off. Watch all previous seasons of Formula 1: Drive to Survive too, available on Netflix year-round for your racing fix.

Unlike previous seasons, season 8 only has eight episodes, compared to the usual ten. With a focus on quality over quantity, fans can still expect the same level of tension and drama we’ve become accustomed to in previous seasons, but condensed.

Since the Netflix exclusive first hit our screens back in 2019, we have been treated to an alternative view into the high stakes world that is racing and motorsport. The series has changed the way how you experience the sport, giving an insider perspective to what happens at a race, but also providing commentary from some well-known names within the motorsport world, including Claire Williams and Will Buxton.

The series isn’t just about lap times either. You can witness first-hand a driver’s ambition, paddock rivalries and setbacks – whether that be issues with the car, or injuries. What’s more, if you’re a new fan of the sport, you don’t need to know your DRS from your undercut to get hooked or know what is going on – the stats and figures are explained by fan favourites and experts.

Fans of the sport can find all episodes of Season 8 available to stream on Netflix from 27 February 2026. You can access the Netflix app directly from our Virgin TV 360 box or Stream box, meaning the world’s fastest and most dramatic sport is only ever a few clicks of your remote control away.

Simply head to Apps > Netflix and prepare for all the racing action, from the first lap to the podium celebrations and beyond.

Eager to hear the roar of the V6 hybrid engines and dive headfirst into the paddock politics? You can watch every single daring overtake, lightning-fast pit stop, and dramatic boardroom showdown with absolute ease using your Virgin TV package. 

With our broadband and TV deals, you can enjoy Netflix Standard included at no extra cost – so your next viewing session is always ready on the starting grid.

Choose from our broadband bundles with Netflix, or add Netflix to the package that fits your pace. Either way, it’s smooth, seamless and all on one bill, because the only thing more stressful than a last‑lap overtake is running out of things to watch.