The wait for the next chapter of the world’s most popular motorsports docuseries is finally over. Netflix has released the full-length trailer for Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8, giving fans a high-speed preview of the drama that unfolded during the 2025 F1 season.
The trailer, which arrived on February 11, 2026, delivers exactly what viewers expect from the series—intense rivalries, garage tension, and emotional driver moments. But this season carries heavier weight. The footage confirms that the cameras were rolling during Christian Horner’s shocking exit from Red Bull, Lando Norris’s first world championship victory, and Lewis Hamilton’s difficult debut year in red .
With the official release date locked in for February 27, 2026, the new season lands just nine days before the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. It is the perfect scheduling tradition the show has maintained since its debut, giving fans a final deep dive into the past season before the new one ignites .
What the Trailer Reveals About Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8
The minute-long trailer opens under the blue lights of the F1-75 season launch event in London. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri stand side by side, with Norris saying, “This is the moment we have all been waiting for.” It is a fitting opening line for a season that saw McLaren return to the top of the sport .
From there, the footage cuts through a blur of crashes, team radio screams, and silent stares in the garage. The production value remains signature Box to Box Films—cinematic, intimate, and never afraid to sit in the discomfort of losing.
Christian Horner receives significant screen time. One scene shows him alongside his wife Geri Halliwell before he delivers a heavy line: “I’ve had something taken away from me that wasn’t my choice.” Later, he tells the camera, “I think we’re done,” and walks off set. It is the strongest hint yet that Season 8 will investigate his departure from the team he led for two decades .
Zak Brown, McLaren’s CEO, describes Max Verstappen with a horror movie analogy: “He’s like that bad guy in that horror movie. He keeps coming back.” It captures the 2025 season perfectly—Verstappen trailing in points mid-year, then clawing his way back to force a final-round decider in Abu Dhabi .
Christian Horner’s Red Bull Exit Takes Center Stage
The trailer confirms what many suspected: Horner’s mid-season exit from Red Bull Racing will be one of the central storylines of Season 8. The former team principal left the Milton Keynes squad in July 2025 after 20 years at the helm, sending shockwaves through the paddock .
Netflix has built its Formula 1 franchise on access, and Horner was always one of the show’s most candid contributors. Seeing him exit mid-interview in the trailer suggests the production team captured raw, unguarded moments during his final weeks with the team.
The series will not only cover his departure but also the ripple effects it created. Red Bull’s car development strengthened in the latter half of 2025, enabling Verstappen to mount his late championship charge. Whether that performance came despite Horner’s exit—or because of the restructuring that followed—remains a question the show may answer .
Lando Norris Versus Oscar Piastri: A Teammate Battle for the Title
For the first time in the Drive to Survive era, the championship fight was fought between two drivers sharing the same garage. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri entered 2025 as equals at McLaren, but only one could leave with the trophy.
The trailer hints at the internal strain. Both drivers appear together during the season launch, but later shots show them isolated, helmet on, avoiding eye contact. Piastri led the standings for portions of the year, but a mid-season dip allowed Norris to seize control. He eventually secured the title by just two points in the season finale at Yas Marina .
For Norris, it marks the end of a long climb. For Piastri, it is a lesson in how thin the margin between victory and heartbreak really is. Season 8 will place viewers inside that cockpit-level pressure.
The Rookie Class of 2025 Gets Its Close-Up
The 2025 season saw one of the largest rookie influxes in modern F1 history. Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Oliver Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (RB), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Jack Doohan (Alpine), and Liam Lawson (Red Bull) all made their full-season debuts .
The trailer gives Antonelli a standout moment. The Italian, who replaced Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, looks into the camera and deadpans: “Driving at 30 kph is boring.” It is a short clip, but it captures the confidence—and pressure—of a teenager stepping into the sport’s most scrutinized seat .
Jack Doohan’s story takes a darker turn. The trailer confirms that Alpine’s mid-season decision to replace him with Franco Colapinto will be featured. Doohan entered 2025 with a full-time seat but left it before the year ended—a brutal reminder of how quickly opportunities vanish in Formula 1 .
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Debut: A Season of Struggle
When Lewis Hamilton pulled on the red race suit for the first time, the world expected victory. Instead, 2025 became the most difficult season of his career.
The trailer shows brief flashes of Hamilton in Ferrari garage, but the tone is subdued. There are no victory celebrations. No podium sprays. Just a seven-time world champion trying to extract performance from a car that refused to cooperate. His Ferrari debut campaign yielded zero wins and regular Q2 eliminations—a humbling chapter for the sport’s most successful driver .
For fans who have followed Hamilton since his McLaren days, this season of Drive to Survive will be difficult viewing. But it is also necessary. The series has never shied away from failure, and Hamilton’s Ferrari year is the kind of human story the show tells best.
Valtteri Bottas and Cadillac: A New Team Joins the Story
While Season 8 focuses on 2025, the producers are already planting flags for the future. Valtteri Bottas confirmed that Netflix contacted him immediately after he signed with Cadillac for the 2026 season. The American outfit joins the grid as the 11th team, bringing Sergio Perez alongside Bottas in one of the most experienced driver lineups on the grid .
Bottas told reporters he expects the series to feature Cadillac’s preparation journey. “I would be surprised if they don’t do anything with the new team joining the sport,” he said. Whether that footage makes the final cut of Season 8 or serves as groundwork for Season 9 remains unclear .
When and Where to Watch Drive to Survive Season 8
Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8 premieres globally on February 27, 2026, exclusively on Netflix.
Subscribers in all regions will have access to the full season at the same time. Netflix typically refreshes its library at 12:00 AM Pacific Time (PT) , which translates to:
- USA (East Coast): 3:00 AM EST
- UK: 8:00 AM GMT
- Canada: 3:00 AM EST / 12:00 AM PST
- Australia (Sydney): 7:00 PM AEDT
- India: 1:30 PM IST
The season will consist of 10 episodes, following the format of previous years. All prior seasons of Drive to Survive remain available on Netflix for new viewers catching up before the premiere .
The Return of Familiar Voices
Will Buxton, the former F1 TV presenter, returns as a talking head for Season 8. His analysis has been a staple of the series since its early seasons, providing context for viewers who may not know the technical or political history behind the rivalries .
Claire Williams, the former deputy team principal of Williams Racing, also appears. Her presence connects the current generation of team management struggles to the era when her father, Sir Frank Williams, ran the squad from a wheelchair in the garage .
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What This Season Means for Formula 1’s Global Audience
Drive to Survive changed how the world watches Formula 1. Before the series, the sport was insular, expensive to access, and difficult for casual viewers to penetrate. The Netflix show opened the garage doors.
Season 8 arrives at a pivot point. The 2025 season delivered a genuine three-way title fight. It delivered a first-time world champion. It delivered controversy at Red Bull and failure at Ferrari. The raw material is richer than it has been in years.
The trailer suggests the producers know this. They are leaning into the discomfort—Horner walking off set, Hamilton standing alone, Piastri watching another driver lift his trophy. There is no manufactured villain here. The sport provided enough tension on its own.
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