Netflix have announced the official release date for season 8 of the hit Formula 1 documentary Drive to Survive ahead of the 2026 season.
The series, which first debuted on 8 March 2019, is returning for a brand new season and giving many F1 fans a much-needed fix of action from 2025.
Drive to Survive has been credited with bringing millions of new viewers to Formula 1 since it hit the streaming platform seven years ago.
The documentary series goes behind the scenes in some of the sport’s biggest moments, including Romain Grosjean’s 2020 Bahrain crash and the infamous argument between Toto Wolff and Christian Horner in 2022.
Netflix offers fans an all-area pass to the season’s biggest narratives and with cameras spotted throughout the year, many will be eager to see which moments make it to the screen.
What is the release date for Drive to Survive season 8 and how to watch
Formula 1 has officially announced that Drive to Survive season 8 will be released on Netflix on 27 February 2026.
The documentary series, which will follow the 2025 championship battle between Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen, is set to hit the streaming platform exactly one week after the final pre-season test in Bahrain.
Fans will have just seven days to soak in the final moments of drama from last season before attention turns to 2026 and the Australian Grand Prix on 6 March.
Drive to Survive season 8 will be available to watch on Netflix, alongside the previous seven seasons of the documentary.
Although limited details have been released, the season will feature eight episodes that are expected to range from 30 minutes to an hour long like previous years.
What happens in Drive to Survive season 8?
Netflix has teased the upcoming release of Drive to Survive season eight by unveiling the episode titles just days before launch.
While full synopses have yet to be confirmed, the titles offer some strong hints about what fans can expect from the eight-part series.
- Episode 1 – New kids on the track
- Episode 2 – Strictly business
- Episode 3 – The number 1 problem
- Episode 4 – A bull with no horns
- Episode 5 – The sky’s the limit
- Episode 6 – The duel
- Episode 7 – What happens in Vegas
- Episode 8 – Call me Chucky
From the titles alone, it appears the season opener will spotlight the five rookies who joined the grid in 2025, most notably Kimi Antonelli, who stepped into Lewis Hamilton’s seat at Mercedes following the seven-time world champion’s departure.
Episode four, A Bull with No Horns, is expected to focus on Christian Horner’s mid-season dismissal from Red Bull Racing. A central figure in the series since its debut in 2019, Horner’s exit marked one of the most significant management shake-ups of the 2025 campaign, making its inclusion unsurprising.
Meanwhile, episode seven, What Happens in Vegas, will likely centre on McLaren’s dramatic double disqualification at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Both Norris and Oscar Piastri were stripped of crucial championship points in a major late-season twist.
Norris had originally secured a podium finish, giving him a 30-point advantage over Piastri and a 42-point cushion over Max Verstappen with just two races remaining. However, the disqualifications dramatically altered the standings: Piastri was left tied on points with Verstappen, while Norris’ lead was cut to just 36 points over both rivals.
With storylines ranging from rookie debuts to power struggles and championship controversy, season eight looks set to deliver another dramatic behind-the-scenes look at Formula 1’s most turbulent moments in 2025.
