F1 Drive to Survive – biggest bombshells from all 7 seasons | TV & Radio | Showbiz & TV

It’s that time of year once more, when Netflix releases one of its most-viewed series delivering thrills, emotional peaks (and troughs) and elite-level motor racing.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8 is now available on Netflix and it guarantees behind-the-scenes drama like never before.

Ahead of the binge-watching marathon, we present a recap of some of the most dramatic and explosive moments from seasons one through seven which left us audibly gasping.

Consider this your journey down F1 memory lane as we endeavour to refresh your memory with some of Formula 1 racing’s most gripping moments showcased on the hit Netflix programme over the years.

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo’s Baku crash from Season 1

Season 1 of Drive to Survive delivered action in abundance – and two of its principal stars were four-time World Champion Max Verstappen and F1’s golden boy Daniel Ricciardo.

The two drivers were repeatedly clashing throughout season 1 and their intra-team competition provided rich material for the cameras.

Their confrontation reached its climax at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and produced a crash for the ages – not particularly due to its severity or destruction, but rather because it eventually triggered Ricciardo’s exit from Red Bull Racing and directly into the embrace of their fiercest competitor – Renault, reports the Mirror.

Episode three – Redemption – offered an in-depth examination of the Verstappen-Ricciardo competition, investigating the escalation of tension and the eventual consequences of the collision.

The drivers had been virtually inseparable from the beginning of the Baku race, narrowly avoiding early side-by-side contact by the smallest of margins.

Verstappen’s determination not to concede ground even as the apparently quicker Ricciardo battled relentlessly was a struggle for the history books, and matters finally reached breaking point on lap 40, when Ricciardo crashed into the back of his team mate’s machine whilst attempting to slip past him on the Turn 1 straight.

Discussing the dramatic incident between his team members, Red Bull’s then Team Principal Christian Horner said at the time: “We allow them to race, we allow them to go wheel to wheel. We even discussed it in pre-race meetings about giving each other space.

“Unfortunately this was the culmination of two guys taking things into their own hands which shouldn’t have happened. We talked about it before the race, both drivers nodded in agreement that they would give each other space. It was a low point and I made my feelings very clear to both drivers.”

Outstanding prime-time viewing, that.

Romain Grosjean’s terrifying inferno crash in Season 3 (and all his other crashes)

The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will remain etched in the memories of motorsport enthusiasts and Formula 1 drivers – particularly those competing on the grid at the time.

The race witnessed Romain Grosjean’s Haas consumed by horrific, all-consuming flames and it was deemed an absolute miracle that Grosjean survived the nightmarish crash.

The former Haas driver ploughed through the barriers on the opening lap as his car spontaneously erupted into enormous flames.

Spectators gazed at the blazing wreckage with immediate horror, yet incredibly, Grosjean emerged from the inferno, having cheated death by the slimmest of margins.

He sustained severe burns to both hands, and it transpired that his 179th Grand Prix would be his final one, the accident inevitably marking the conclusion of his Formula 1 career.

Season three’s ninth episode, Man on Fire, took viewers behind the scenes and revealed the impact the horrifying incident had on the wider paddock, with Lewis Hamilton saying: “This one was hard to watch. I felt very vulnerable at that moment.”

Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner said: “Once you see fire, that is the worst thing you can have. This is bad,” whilst Sergio Perez reflected: “Only when you see those things do you believe the danger we go into.”

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s British Grand Prix collision – and that controversial Championship win

World Champion Max Verstappen and his rivalries show no signs of abating, with another memorable chapter unfolding in Drive to Survive’s fourth season, this time between seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and the Flying Dutchman.

The captivating duel between the central figures of season four reached its climax at Silverstone, where the pair collided on lap 1 with Verstappen enduring a 51G impact as he careered into the barriers at 180mph.

Hamilton had collided with Verstappen’s formidable machine at the notorious Copse corner during the British Grand Prix and the incident resulted in the Dutchman being transported to hospital for assessment.

Verstappen subsequently revealed he had competed with impaired vision in several races following the clash with a quote in the Red Bulletin: “Since my Silverstone crash, I’ve struggled with visibility problems, especially on undulating circuits or those with lots of advertising boards on the side of the track. In this race, I wasn’t just fighting against Lewis, but also against blurred images.”

Discussing the incident, Hamilton had stated at the time: “If you don’t go for a gap, you may as well stop racing.”

The thrilling season eventually concluded with Verstappen securing his maiden Formula 1 World Championship after prevailing in the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – a finale that witnessed him overcome Hamilton for the prized title on the closing lap following a (highly disputed) Safety Car restart.

Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell announcement in season 7

Having driven for Mercedes since 2013 and claiming six of his seven World Championship titles with them – Lewis Hamilton actually departing the Silver Arrows was on nobody’s radar, ever.

It’s no exaggeration to state that Drive to Survive Season 7’s most dramatic moment was undoubtedly Hamilton’s shocking pre-season revelation that he was departing Toto Wolff‘s squad’s welcoming environment for the iconic red of the Scuderia for the 2025 campaign.

Addressed in the opening episode, Netflix managed to document some captivating behind-the-scenes moments from the consequences of the declaration, even positioning themselves in the room when Toto and Hamilton reunite on camera following the announcement at the Mercedes car unveiling.

Candid and unedited remarks from Toto concerning the transfer and Mercedes’ future strategy appear in Episodes 1 and 3, with the Mercedes Team Principal challenging the timing of Hamilton’s decision and even exploring the potential recruitment of Verstappen with his wife and current managing director of the F1 Academy, Susie Wolff.

Toto can be heard saying: “I haven’t talked to him [Verstappen], because I promised Lewis not to talk to him, but I will have the conversation now.”

Eventually the prized Mercedes seat is awarded to Kimi Antonelli, the youngster and his family’s delight captured perfectly on Netflix’s camera when he receives the news. Hamilton’s Ferrari transfer also resulted in fan-favourite Carlos Sainz losing his place with the Scuderia, triggering his subsequent switch to Williams (another compelling season seven narrative – and one of our favourite storylines).

Charles Leclerc’s home race ‘curse’ and emotional Monza victory in Season 7

Season 7’s Episode 5 entitled ‘Le Curse of Leclerc’ offers viewers an intimate look at Formula 1’s exceptionally gifted driver Charles Leclerc.

Amongst the most emotionally powerful episodes in Drive to Survive’s rich catalogue, it provides a deeper insight into Leclerc’s world – something admirers of the apparently reserved motorsport star cannot help but treasure.

Examining his unfortunate streak in all his home races at Monaco throughout his nearly 9-year career, Drive to Survive delivers one of the programme’s most emotionally compelling sequences when Leclerc finally secures the trophy that had been evading him for such a considerable time.

Intimate scenes with loved ones and relatives feature throughout the episode, including a touching sequence with Leclerc receiving a home haircut from his mother whilst discussing his late father and his Formula 1 ambitions for him.

In a classic ‘I’m not crying, you’re crying’ instance as a spectator – Leclerc ultimately claims the Monza trophy following a thrilling performance in his home race, sharing with the cameras: “I definitely did not only realise my dream, but my father’s dream. He’s probably celebrating it from above.”

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