Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Documentary television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a British television documentary series produced in a collaboration between Netflix and Formula One, to give a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers and races of the Formula One World Championship. The series has received one season per year since 2019, with all episodes releasing on the same date, and a total of eight seasons have been released, with the latest season aired on 27 February 2026. A crossover event with Full Swing broadcast on Netflix in November 2023 called The Netflix Cup.
| Formula 1: Drive to Survive | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Docudrama |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 78 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Running time | 27–51 minutes |
| Production companies | Box to Box Films Formula One Management |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | 8 March 2019 – present |
| Network | Apple TV (United States) |
| Release | 27 February 2026 |
Production and concept
On 24 March 2018, Formula One announced that Netflix had commissioned a ten episode documentary-series giving an exclusive behind the scenes look at the 2018 Formula One World Championship.[1][2] On 24 July 2019, Formula One announced that a second season would premiere in 2020 covering the 2019 Formula One World Championship, involving all 10 teams.[3][4]
The series is executively produced by James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin for the production company, Box to Box Films. Sophie Todd is the production's showrunner.[5] Formula One Management provides on track footage along with commentary from Alex Jacques, David Croft, Harry Benjamin, Martin Brundle, David Coulthard and Jolyon Palmer.
Gay-Rees subsequently went on to reveal to The Fast Lane Podcast that Drive to Survive had originally been conceived as a series revolving solely around Red Bull Racing before it evolved into a series about F1 in general.[6]
Filming began for the 2020 season in March but was suspended until July due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
On 26 February 2026, Netflix and Apple announced that the eighth season would be releasing on Apple TV for US subscribers in addition to the traditional global Netflix release on 27 February. In exchange, the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix would also stream on Netflix for US subscribers.[8]
Episodes
Season 1 (2019)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "All to Play For" | 8 March 2019 |
| 2 | 2 | "The King of Spain" | 8 March 2019 |
| 3 | 3 | "Redemption" | 8 March 2019 |
| 4 | 4 | "The Art of War" | 8 March 2019 |
| 5 | 5 | "Trouble at the Top" | 8 March 2019 |
| 6 | 6 | "All or Nothing" | 8 March 2019 |
| 7 | 7 | "Keeping Your Head" | 8 March 2019 |
| 8 | 8 | "The Next Generation" | 8 March 2019 |
| 9 | 9 | "Stars and Stripes" | 8 March 2019 |
| 10 | 10 | "Crossing the Line" | 8 March 2019 |
Season 2 (2020)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Lights Out" | 28 February 2020 |
| 12 | 2 | "Boiling Point" | 28 February 2020 |
| 13 | 3 | "Dogfight" | 28 February 2020 |
| 14 | 4 | "Dark Days" | 28 February 2020 |
| 15 | 5 | "Great Expectations" | 28 February 2020 |
| 16 | 6 | "Raging Bulls" | 28 February 2020 |
| 17 | 7 | "Seeing Red" | 28 February 2020 |
| 18 | 8 | "Musical Chairs" | 28 February 2020 |
| 19 | 9 | "Blood, Sweat & Tears" | 28 February 2020 |
| 20 | 10 | "Checkered Flag" | 28 February 2020 |
Season 3 (2021)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date [9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Cash Is King" | 19 March 2021 |
| 22 | 2 | "Back On Track" | 19 March 2021 |
| 23 | 3 | "Nobody's Fool" | 19 March 2021 |
| 24 | 4 | "We Need to Talk About Ferrari" | 19 March 2021 |
| 25 | 5 | "The End of the Affair" | 19 March 2021 |
| 26 | 6 | "The Comeback Kid" | 19 March 2021 |
| 27 | 7 | "Guenther's Choice" | 19 March 2021 |
| 28 | 8 | "No Regrets" | 19 March 2021 |
| 29 | 9 | "Man On Fire" | 19 March 2021 |
| 30 | 10 | "Down to the Wire" | 19 March 2021 |
Season 4 (2022)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | 1 | "Clash of the Titans" | 11 March 2022 |
| 32 | 2 | "Ace in the Hole" | 11 March 2022 |
| 33 | 3 | "Tipping Point" | 11 March 2022 |
| 34 | 4 | "A Mountain to Climb" | 11 March 2022 |
| 35 | 5 | "Staying Alive" | 11 March 2022 |
| 36 | 6 | "A Point to Prove" | 11 March 2022 |
| 37 | 7 | "Growing Pains" | 11 March 2022 |
| 38 | 8 | "Dances With Wolff" | 11 March 2022 |
| 39 | 9 | "Gloves are Off" | 11 March 2022 |
| 40 | 10 | "Hard Racing" | 11 March 2022 |
Season 5 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41 | 1 | "The New Dawn" | 24 February 2023 |
| 42 | 2 | "Bounce Back" | 24 February 2023 |
| 43 | 3 | "Matter of Principal" | 24 February 2023 |
| 44 | 4 | "Like Father, Like Son?" | 24 February 2023 |
| 45 | 5 | "Pardon My French" | 24 February 2023 |
| 46 | 6 | "Nice Guys Finish Last" | 24 February 2023 |
| 47 | 7 | "Hot Seat" | 24 February 2023 |
| 48 | 8 | "Alpha Male" | 24 February 2023 |
| 49 | 9 | "Over The Limit" | 24 February 2023 |
| 50 | 10 | "End of the Road" | 24 February 2023 |
Season 6 (2024)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 1 | "Money Talks" | 23 February 2024 |
| 52 | 2 | "Fall from Grace" | 23 February 2024 |
| 53 | 3 | "Under Pressure" | 23 February 2024 |
| 54 | 4 | "The Last Chapter" | 23 February 2024 |
| 55 | 5 | "Civil War" | 23 February 2024 |
| 56 | 6 | "Leap of Faith" | 23 February 2024 |
| 57 | 7 | "C’est la Vie" | 23 February 2024 |
| 58 | 8 | "Forza Ferrari" | 23 February 2024 |
| 59 | 9 | "Three's a Crowd" | 23 February 2024 |
| 60 | 10 | "Red or Black" | 23 February 2024 |
Season 7 (2025)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61 | 1 | "Business as Usual" | 7 March 2025 |
| 62 | 2 | "Frenemies" | 7 March 2025 |
| 63 | 3 | "Looking Out for Number 1" | 7 March 2025 |
| 64 | 4 | "Carlos Signs" | 7 March 2025 |
| 65 | 5 | "Le Curse of Leclerc" | 7 March 2025 |
| 66 | 6 | "Wheels of Fortune" | 7 March 2025 |
| 67 | 7 | "In The Heat of the Night" | 7 March 2025 |
| 68 | 8 | "Elbows Out" | 7 March 2025 |
| 69 | 9 | "Under New Management" | 7 March 2025 |
| 70 | 10 | "End Game" | 7 March 2025 |
Season 8 (2026)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 1 | "New Kids On The Track" | 27 February 2026 |
| 72 | 2 | "Strictly Business" | 27 February 2026 |
| 73 | 3 | "The Number 1 Problem" | 27 February 2026 |
| 74 | 4 | "A Bull With No Horns" | 27 February 2026 |
| 75 | 5 | "The Sky's The Limit" | 27 February 2026 |
| 76 | 6 | "The Duel" | 27 February 2026 |
| 77 | 7 | "What Happens In Vegas" | 27 February 2026 |
| 78 | 8 | "Call Me Chucky" | 27 February 2026 |
Reception
The show has received recognition for the additional insight it offers fans,[10] and is credited with attracting new audiences (particularly American) to the sport.[11][12][13] The condensing of season-long themes into single-episode narratives has drawn praise for adapting "the natural drama of a racing season into a narrative that can encourage a fan to tune into the real thing."[14]
However, Drive to Survive has been criticized for including fake or misplaced commentary and team radios,[14][15][16][17] staging certain scenes,[14][18][19] placing undue importance on test and practice sessions,[17][18] and over-dramatizing or misrepresenting certain events and relationships within the Formula One paddock.[15][17][20] The continued criticism from both audiences and drivers led to discussions between Netflix and team managers, as well as between Formula One and the drivers.[21]
Max Verstappen refused to participate in interviews for seasons 3 and 4 as he believed that the show dramatized some drivers by portraying them as villains and manufactured fake rivalries.[22][23][24] However, he participated again in season 5 after reaching an agreement with the producers to "keep it real".[24][25][26]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials | Nick Fry, Steve Speed, James Evans (for "The Next Generation) | Nominated | [27] |
2020 |
British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Sound: Factual | Nick Fry, Steve Speed, James Evans, Nick Adams | Nominated | [28] |
| Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | Sound - Entertainment & Non Drama | Steve Speed, Nick Fry, James Evans, Hugh Dwan | Nominated | [29] | |
2021 |
Sports Emmy Awards | Outstanding Serialized Sports Documentary | Formula 1: Drive to Survive | Nominated | [30] |
| British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Sound: Factual | Nick Fry, Steve Speed, James Evans, Hugh Dwan | Won | [31] | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Sports Program | Formula 1: Drive to Survive | Nominated | [32] | |
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Steve Speed, Nick Fry, Hugh Dwan, James Evans (for "Down to the Wire") | Nominated | [33] | |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials | Doug Dreger, Nick Fry, Steve Speed (for "Man on Fire") | Nominated | [34] | |
| Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards | Sound - Entertainment & Non Drama | Steve Speed, Nick Fry, James Evans, Hugh Dwan | Won | [35] | |
2022 |
American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Non-Scripted Series | Dan Ablett, Kevin Austin, Otto Burnham, Shane McCormack, Graham Taylor (for "Man on Fire") | Won | [36] |
| British Academy Television Craft Awards | Best Sound: Factual | Doug Dreger, Andrew Yarme, Nick Fry, Steve Speed, Hugh Dwan, James Evans | Nominated | [37] | |
| Sports Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary Series - Serialized | Formula 1: Drive to Survive | Won | [38] | |
| Outstanding Editing - Long Form | Nominated | ||||
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Best Sports Program | Nominated | [39] | ||
2023 |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Non Fiction, Variety or Music – Series or Specials | Nick Fry, Steve Speed (for "Gloves Are Off") | Won | [40] |
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Steve Speed, Nick Fry, James Evans, Hugh Dwan (for "Gloves Are Off") | Won | [41] | |
| Sports Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary Series - Serialized | Formula 1: Drive to Survive | Nominated | [42] | |
| Outstanding Audio/Sound - Post-Produced | Nominated | ||||
2024 |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television – Non-Fiction, Variety, or Music/Series or Specials | Doug Dredger, Steve Speed, Nick Fry (for "Over the Limit") | Nominated | [43] |
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Steve Speed, Nick Fry, Adam King, Doug Dreger, Ivan Onek, James Spooner (for "Over the Limit") | Nominated | [44] | |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Sports Program | Formula 1: Drive to Survive | Nominated | [45] | |
| Sports Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary Series - Serialized | Nominated | [46] | ||
| Outstanding Audio/Sound - Post-Produced | Nominated | ||||
2025 |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television – Non-Fiction, Variety, or Music/Series or Specials | Doug Dreger, Steve Speed, Nick Fry (for "Forza Ferrari") | Nominated | [47] [48] |
| Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Documentary | Nick Fry, Steve Speed, Doug Dreger, Adam King, Tom Maclellan, James Spooner (for "Forza Ferrari") | Nominated | [49] | |
| Golden Trailer Awards | Best Documentary/Reality Poster for a TV/Streaming Series | Netflix / Intermission Film | Won | [50][51] | |
Spin-offs
In 2020, a series similar to Drive to Survive was released on F1 TV based on the 2019 Formula 2 Championship, called Chasing the Dream.[52] Subsequent second and third seasons were produced, each covering the 2020 and 2021 F2 Championships, premiering in 2021 and 2022 respectively.[53][54] The fourth and fifth seasons, based on the 2022 and 2023 F2 Championships, were released on F1 TV as well as free-to-air on YouTube during the respective years.[55][56]
