Netflix has officially confirmed that its behind-the-scenes docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive will return for a ninth season, covering the ongoing 2026 season.
The docuseries, which premiered on the streaming service in 2019, has given viewers unprecedented access to the paddock and an insight into the drivers' personal lives beyond the track.
"We’re so excited to be making Season 9 of this iconic show," James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin, executive producers at Box to Box, which produces the show, said. "This year we’re going to go deeper than ever before into the hidden spaces of this fantastic sport."
While it has been met with some criticism for its creative editing to bring the drama of a reality television show, the impact the series has had on the popularity of the championship cannot be denied. It has been instrumental in the growth of the fanbase in the United States and in attracting a younger audience with a higher proportion of women to the racing series.
Gay-Rees spoke about the impact of the docuseries during an interview with F1.com in 2023. "Genuinely, we are enormously proud to be a part of it. There’s also a lot of satisfaction at being first with these things, and I think that it kind of does feel like the first main access show – certainly out of the UK anyway – that has had this 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. Bringing such a big new audience to a sport – which obviously was deserved, it just needed somebody to open it up – is massively satisfying.
"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. It’s a very difficult show to make, but we love the process, we love the world. Long may it continue!"
The ninth season of the docuseries will centre on the 2026 F1 season.
Fans have already shared their excitement about the 2027 release. "The Aston Martin episode will be Absolute Television," one fan commented on the announcement shared on the official Netflix UK Instagram account.
"Looking forward to the DTS marathon," someone else posted, while another fan added: "OK I can’t wait for DTS. I actually like it."
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Originally published by motorsport.com —
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