(Motorsport-Total.com) – Was the script for the 2025 Formula 1 season perhaps written by Netflix? This question is even asked by one of the new episodes of “Drive to Survive” itself – with a wink. But the creators of the hit series make it clear: for the dramaturgy of the eighth season, it was ultimately completely secondary which name ended up on the World Championship trophy.
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In an interview with F1.com, executive producers James Gay-Rees and Tom Rogers gave insights into the production of the latest season. The core message: whether it was Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, or Oscar Piastri – the “happy ending” was guaranteed for the streaming giants anyway.
“We really didn’t care how the dice fell in the end,” explains Rogers. For the producers, every scenario offered blockbuster material: “If Max had made it, it would have been the greatest comeback of all time – an incredible story. For Lando or Oscar, it would have been the first title for both. That too is a fantastic ending for a narrative.”
Norris in particular, who has supported the series since the very beginning, was in focus. Nevertheless, Rogers emphasizes: “No matter how the last race of the season had turned out, it would have been good for us and good for the sport.”
McLaren in the spotlight, Verstappen with humor
According to James Gay-Rees, the renaissance of McLaren in particular shaped the narrative of the eighth season. The collaboration with the team from Woking – from Zak Brown to the drivers to the press staff – was “fantastic.”
The 2026 Formula 1 cars in their final designs on the race track
“Seeing how Max and Red Bull caught them again over the course of the season was something very special,” said Gay-Rees. “For McLaren it was probably terrifying, for the rest of us extremely entertaining.”
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The creators were particularly impressed by World Champion Max Verstappen: “You have to pay him respect for how he handled it. He seemed to take it with a smile and humor, which was nice to see.”
The Piastri puzzle and the war of nerves
Interestingly, the Netflix creators at times had a completely different favorite on their list. “Like many others, I also thought Oscar Piastri would do it,” confesses Gay-Rees. Why his title hunt ultimately failed after all is “quite complicated” and will be highlighted in the series.
In the end, the question remained: would Norris keep his nerves or would Verstappen strike back? For Gay-Rees, the result was secondary: “It was a win-win-win situation for us.”
The eighth season of Drive to Survive has been available on Netflix since February 27 – just in time for the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season in Australia from March 6 to 8.
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