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Netflix has officially confirmed that Formula 1: Drive to Survive will return for a ninth season, with the new instalment set to cover the ongoing 2026 Formula 1 season.
The behind-the-scenes series first premiered on the streaming service in 2019. Since then, it has offered viewers unprecedented access to the Formula 1 paddock, while also exploring the drivers’ personal lives away from the circuit.
James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, executive producers at Box to Box, the company behind the series, said the next season would take the programme further into the sport’s less visible spaces.
“We’re so excited to be making Season 9 of this iconic show,” they said. “This year we’re going to go deeper than ever before into the hidden spaces of this fantastic sport.”
The series has faced criticism over its creative editing, particularly from viewers who believe it heightens the drama in the style of reality television. However, its influence on Formula 1’s audience is difficult to dispute.
Drive to Survive has been instrumental in expanding the championship’s fanbase in the United States. It has also helped attract a younger audience, including a higher proportion of women to the racing series.
Gay-Rees discussed the programme’s reach in a 2023 interview with F1.com, describing the team’s pride in creating what he viewed as the first major access series of its kind to have such a profound effect.
“We’ve all had the statistics about the changing, younger demographic, and it’s tough out there for anybody, for any big organisation, to hold its ground given the amount of choices that are out there for the consumer,” he said.
He added that bringing a large new audience to Formula 1 was particularly satisfying because the sport had always deserved that attention; it simply needed someone to open it up.
“The fact that it wasn’t a fluke, the fact that it’s grown [with every season]… It’s a real honour and we love it,” Gay-Rees said. “It’s a very difficult show to make, but we love the process, we love the world. Long may it continue!”
Although the season will focus on 2026, fans are already looking ahead to its eventual release in 2027. Reactions to Netflix UK’s announcement included excitement over a potential Aston Martin episode, with one commenter calling it “Absolute Television.”
Others described themselves as ready for a “DTS marathon”, while another fan admitted: “OK I can’t wait for DTS. I actually like it.”
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.