Netflix has confirmed the return of Formula 1: Drive to Survive for a ninth season, which will return to the behind the scenes of the 2026 championship.
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The documentary series Formula 1: Drive to Survive will continue its journey on Netflix. The streaming platform has officially confirmed the production of a ninth season, dedicated to the events of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship.
Launched in 2019, the series has gradually established itself as one of the most iconic programs dedicated to F1. Its concept remains unchanged: to take viewers behind the scenes of the paddock and tell the season through the drivers, team principals, and the many sporting and human stakes that shape the championship.
This ninth season is not expected to lack material. The 2026 campaign has already offered many twists, both on and off the track, and several major storylines should naturally play an important role in the upcoming episodes.
Antonelli and the new hierarchy at the heart of the season
One of the main storylines should be the rise of Kimi Antonelli. The young Italian has taken the lead in the championship and has become the youngest driver in F1 history to hold this position.
The battle between the main teams should also provide plenty of content for the producers. The balance of power has shifted with the circuits and technical developments, while Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull each try to gain the upper hand.
The recent rise of McLaren is notably an important storyline in this second half of the season. Lando Norris has just secured two wins in a row and is now trying to close the gap in the championship, while Mercedes remains firmly positioned at the front with Antonelli and George Russell.
Verstappen’s future now decided
Events off the track should also play an important role. The future of Max Verstappen, long a source of speculation, has notably been definitively clarified with the extension of his contract at Red Bull until the end of the 2030 season.
The sporting situation of the Austrian team could provide another major narrative angle. After dominating F1 for several seasons, Red Bull is going through a much more challenging campaign and Verstappen himself has acknowledged that his team is currently only the fourth force on the grid.
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More broadly, the driver market has also gradually stabilized. A large part of the current grid should keep their seats in 2027, after several months during which the future of some drivers fueled discussions in the paddock.
Drive to Survive promises to go even further
James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, executive producers of Box to Box Films, the company behind Drive to Survive, have confirmed their desire to deepen even further the immersion offered to viewers.
“We are very happy to produce season 9 of this iconic series. This year, we will go further than ever into the hidden spaces of this fantastic sport.”
Since its first broadcast, Drive to Survive has stood out for its privileged access to teams and drivers. The series mixes footage shot during Grand Prix weekends, behind-the-scenes sequences, and interviews conducted with the main championship protagonists.
This format has greatly contributed to its international popularity and helped attract to Formula 1 an audience that did not necessarily follow the championship before.
A broadcast expected after the 2026 season
Netflix has not yet announced a precise release date for this ninth season. As with previous editions, viewers will however have to wait until after the conclusion of the 2026 championship to discover the full story of the campaign.
The producers still have many Grands Prix to enrich their storyline. Between the battle for the title, McLaren’s comeback, Red Bull’s difficulties, Ferrari’s progress, and the many stakes surrounding the new technical regulations, the current season already offers particularly rich material.
It now remains to be seen which events from this 2026 campaign will be chosen to become the main storylines of the ninth season of Drive to Survive.
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