Formula 1: Drive to Survive (DTS), a Netflix documentary that covers the Formula One (F1) World Championship, released its eighth season following the 2025 F1 season. Fans of F1 racing look forward to the season releases each year, excited to relive the drama and get pumped for the imminent season. Released Feb. 27, each DTS season is strategically released about 1-2 weeks before the actual season starts to gain traction. Caution: spoilers ahead…

Each episode of the show focuses on one subject or team that had an intriguing storyline in the previous season. The show is known for dramatizing the season for viewers, creating tension between fans who got into F1 from DTS and fans who have been watching the sport for a while. Older fans look down on DTS fans for not truly following the sport and only enjoying it for the drama. Season eight was well spread across all ten teams, but it should’ve focused more on the hardships of the team Ferrari. Additionally, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso, multi-championship winners, did not participate in new, exclusive interviews, so producers relied on press interviews and team radio. 

Episode one focused on the six rookie drivers in the 2025 season. When a team brings a rookie into their seat, they take a leap of faith, hoping the rookie will do well and score points. To score points, the driver has to be in the top ten finishers of the race. First place gets 25 points, second earns 18, and so on; the rider in tenth place receives only one point. For example, Mercedes AMG Petronas had an empty seat and decided to bring in 18 (now 19)-year-old Kimi Antonelli. This episode covers his extraordinary rise into a high-pressure position, including his fourth-place finish in his first-ever F1 race. Antonelli flourished, becoming a fan favorite, and the show perfectly portrayed that. 

Episode four was one that all fans were anticipating, some with sadness, some with enjoyment. It kicked off explaining the mounds of pressure on Red Bull and its team principal, Christian Horner, because of their significant domination over the last five seasons. The show dove into Horner’s need for speed and points, but his inability to match the years before. After the Austrian Grand Prix, some of the higher-ups at Red Bull decided to remove Horner permanently. The show angled it as if the team fired him for lack of performance, but fans speculate that Horner’s sexual assault allegations from 2024 contributed to his removal.

Episode seven zoomed in on one important race last season: the Vegas Grand Prix. This episode followed McLaren Racing as they dominated the weekend and ended the race in first and second place. However, after the win, the disposition of the team changed to grave. Each car receives post-race checks to ensure that they meet Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) requirements. But both McLarens were below the nine millimeter minimum thickness of the floor plank, and both cars were disqualified from the race. The show released footage of the team principal and CEO revealing that they knew the risks of avoiding FIA requirements and chose to proceed anyways, creating hate and opposition among fans. 

The finale focused on the last two races of the season and the fight for the World Drivers’ Championship. Each Formula 1 season has two different titles to win: the Constructors Championship and the Drivers Championship. These last two races were all about who was going to win the Drivers Championship. It was between three drivers: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of team McLaren, and Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Norris was ahead in points but couldn’t secure his title at the Qatar Grand Prix, so the battle continued to the last race. This episode was drawn out to elevate the drama, but unfortunately fell a bit flat. 

At the last race, tensions were high as the racers lined up on the grid. The pressure was on because if Norris finished on the podium, he would be the next world champion, but if he finished anything below third, Max Verstappen would win. Norris dropped from second to third on the very first lap, and the scene changed to the team sighing and losing hope. He managed to hold onto his third place, and on his final lap, a very sweet montage of him as a kid go-karting and talking about being a world champion played. The producers knew what mood they wanted to convey, and they did exactly that. 

Overall, this season is one of the best, from its high-quality on-track shots to the emotional interviews and impactful scenes. There are other events from last year that would’ve been good storylines for the series, such as the impact of the championship fight on Norris and Oscars’ friendship. The show briefly mentioned it, but could’ve gone more into detail; fans know them as close friends, but last year couldn’t have been easy on their friendship given that they were each other’s biggest rivals. 

Another thing the season lacked is a focus on rookie Isack Hadjar, who drove for Visa Cash App Racing Bull, Red Bull’s junior racing team. He had an amazing season, and there should have been more coverage on him. Ultimately, this season was a hit, providing entertaining behind-the-scenes for fans, earning it four out of five feathers.