Drive To Survive Season 7 Review: Tackles Most Elephants In The Vroom
With unprecedented access that remains its USP, Netflix’s Drive To Survive rediscovers its winning formula in the latest season – navigating the fine line between authentic storytelling and manufactured drama
“The truth is you never know what life’s gonna bring," says former Spice Girl Geri Horner, sitting beside her husband and Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. Her prophetic words set the tone for the latest edition of Drive To Survive that tackles a season where Formula 1 roared back to life after what many consider the “snooze-fest" of 2023.
With unprecedented access that remains its USP, the series rediscovers its winning formula – navigating the fine line between authentic storytelling and manufactured drama.
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The Horner Hurricane
The latest season of Drive To Survive dives headfirst into the allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against Horner by a female employee, a story that dominated headlines and divided the paddock.
The cameras capture Horner’s visible discomfort throughout the early episodes, particularly during tense moments at Red Bull’s car launch where he first publicly addressed the allegations.
In one revealing scene, after McLaren CEO Zak Brown calls for transparency during an FIA press conference, Horner mutters to his press officer: “Zak is a pr—." This raw, unfiltered moment offers a glimpse into the fractured relationships among team principals under pressure.
When anonymous messages allegedly from Horner to the complainant were leaked, the show frames it as a calculated move. “It was obviously premeditated to cause me the maximum amount of distraction, the maximum amount of aggravation," Horner says, adding that “the end goal was for me to leave Red Bull." When asked if he knows who leaked them, his thin smile speaks volumes. The series teases that Horner may know the culprit but stops short of revealing names, maintaining the mystery that continues to swirl around the paddock.
Small details such as these speak volumes; like Horner gently brushing aside a kid wanting an autograph right when the embattled team principal is making a calculated entry into the paddock with wife Geri – a stark contrast to his usually media-savvy persona.
Hamilton’s Ferrari Flip
The other seismic shift covered extensively is Lewis Hamilton‘s shocking move to Ferrari. The series captures the weight of this decision, portraying it as not just a career change but the end of a historic partnership with Mercedes. The awkwardness between Hamilton and Team Principal Toto Wolff is palpable, particularly during a car launch where Wolff goes in for an uncomfortable hug, highlighting the personal strain behind the professional decision.
In a candid moment, Wolff discusses potential replacements with his wife and F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff. He describes Hamilton’s timing as “weird" before revealing he promised Hamilton not to approach Max Verstappen as a replacement — only to immediately add, “But I will have the conversation now."
This glimpse into the chess-like manoeuvring reveals how quickly loyalty shifts in the high-stakes world of Formula 1.
The series skillfully juxtaposes Hamilton’s departure with Mercedes’ future, particularly through George Russell’s journey toward becoming team leader. When a Mercedes team member quips “Where’s Lewis?" during a photoshoot with Russell, Wolff, and young talent Kimi Antonelli, the awkward laughter underscores the void Hamilton’s departure creates and the pressure on those left to fill it.
The Rise of Lando Norris
Taking over the mantle from former teammate Daniel Ricciardo as the poster boy for Drive to Survive, Lando Norris receives more airtime than any other driver, offering viewers unprecedented access to his emotional journey. From the drunken cut on his nose after a trip to Amsterdam before his maiden P1 in Miami to the raw disappointment following his Brazilian Grand Prix disaster, Norris bares his soul in ways few drivers have before.
“My weakness is caring too much about what people say or think or feel. And then I kind of get into this spiral…," Norris confesses in a moment of vulnerability that has become a hallmark of the series’ ability to penetrate the psychological aspects of the sport. The series excels at contrasting Norris with Verstappen, showing how their different approaches—Norris’s thoughtful style versus Verstappen’s killer instinct—shape their racing identities.
‘Carlos Signs’
The cleverly titled episode ‘Carlos Signs’ offers a fascinating window into the three-way battle between Williams, Sauber, and Alpine for Carlos Sainz‘s signature following his departure from Ferrari. Williams Team Principal James Vowles emerges as an unexpectedly compelling character, his obsession with signing Sainz bordering on the comical as he admits: “I wake up in the morning and go to sleep at night thinking of nothing else."
The episode builds tension around a potential signing announcement at the Spanish Grand Prix, Sainz’s home race. A meeting is arranged at Williams’ hotel, with cameras poised for the big moment — only for Sainz not to show up. The reason? “Flavio called me," Sainz explains, introducing another layer of drama with the return of controversial figure Flavio Briatore as Alpine’s executive advisor.
Vowles’ comparison of driver negotiations to dating — “Start with texts, there’s dinner involved. And then it ends up in a hotel room"—adds a human dimension to the business side of the sport, showing the personal investment team principals make in courting their desired drivers.
Briatore, The New Villain?
Briatore’s return to Formula 1 as Alpine’s executive advisor brings a nostalgic yet controversial energy to the series. The Italian businessman, notorious for his involvement in the 2008 Crashgate scandal, emerges as a potential new villain for the show, his blunt manner and unapologetic approach providing compelling television.
Commenting on Sainz picking Williams over Alpine, Briatore dismisses it with characteristic brusqueness: “Alpine was not good enough for him and Williams was much better, simple as that…. Everybody makes mistakes."
His criticism of driver Esteban Ocon’s attitude — “Don’t be a spoiled brat" — and his ominous warning to Jack Doohan — “The future of Jack, I control you every millimeter" — establish him as a formidable and somewhat menacing presence in the paddock.
In an era where many team principals have refined their media personas, Briatore’s unfiltered approach harks back to an earlier era of Formula 1, providing a counterpoint to the more measured communications typical of modern F1 management.
Beyond The Vroom
Where Drive to Survive truly excels is in capturing the human stories behind the high-octane sport. Episode 5, focusing on Charles Leclerc’s quest to win his home race in Monaco, stands out as particularly moving. The series reveals Leclerc’s personal struggles, his emotional confession that he lied to his dying father about making it to Formula 1 before he actually did make it.
Episode 7, ‘In The Heat Of The Night’, takes an innovative approach by allowing Leclerc, Pierre Gasly, Norris, Alex Albon, and George Russell to film portions of their Singapore Grand Prix weekend themselves. This provides intimate glimpses into their friendships and personalities, from games of ‘padel’ to group dinners, revealing the camaraderie that exists alongside the fierce competition.
A particularly striking moment comes when the episode covers Russell’s panic attack during the physically demanding Singapore Grand Prix. The raw portrayal of Russell’s vulnerability shows the extreme mental and physical toll racing takes on drivers, a reality often obscured by the glamour and spectacle of the sport.
The Glaring Omissions
Despite its comprehensive coverage, several significant storylines receive minimal attention or are completely overlooked.
Among the most glaring, is the limited coverage of Adrian Newey’s shocking departure from Red Bull to Aston Martin. This seismic shift in F1’s technical landscape—arguably as impactful as any driver move—receives scant attention despite its profound implications for the competitive order.
Newey, the design mastermind behind numerous championship-winning cars, had been instrumental in Red Bull’s recent dominance with Max Verstappen. His decision to leave for Aston Martin following the Horner controversy represented one of the season’s most significant power shifts. The $30 million per year compensation package reportedly offered by Lawrence Stroll’s ambitious team marked just one aspect of this complex story.
The series’ reluctance to delve deeper into this technical side of the sport—focusing instead on more television-friendly driver and team principal narratives—highlights a persistent bias toward personalities over the engineering battles that often determine championships.
Franco Colapinto’s mid-season replacement of Logan Sargeant at Williams merits barely a mention, despite the Argentine’s impact during his nine race weekends. Oliver Bearman’s impressive Ferrari debut in Saudi Arabia when Sainz was out with appendicitis goes unmentioned entirely.
The contentious debates around racing rules and Verstappen’s driving style, which sparked significant discussion throughout the season, are notably absent. Similarly, while the show documents the pressure on Sergio Pérez and Daniel Ricciardo, their eventual departures from their respective teams receive cursory treatment at best.
Out-Of-Context Editing
As with previous seasons, Drive to Survive continues to face criticism for taking creative liberties with its storytelling. The series employs selective editing and narrative framing that sometimes prioritizes drama over strict chronological accuracy. For instance, scenes suggesting a potential Sainz signing announcement at the Spanish Grand Prix were actually filmed at later races, creating a timeline that enhances dramatic tension but doesn’t precisely reflect reality.
Max Verstappen, who had previously boycotted participation due to concerns over misrepresentation, returns this season but remains vocal about the show’s tendency to exaggerate rivalries. His criticism carries particular weight as the reigning world champion, highlighting the ongoing tension between the show’s entertainment value and its responsibility to authentic representation.
Some moments, such as the echo voiceovers emphasizing Norris’s lack of wins, demonstrate the show’s continued reliance on dramatization techniques that can feel heavy-handed to knowledgeable F1 fans. Yet this approach remains central to the show’s appeal to casual viewers and new fans.
Away We Go…
Seven seasons in, Drive to Survive has become an integral part of Formula 1’s modern identity, playing a crucial role in expanding the sport’s global audience, particularly in the United States. All key players — drivers, team principals, and even those in their private lives — now understand how to play to the cameras, creating a fascinating meta-narrative about the relationship between the sport and its documentary chronicler.
Despite its flaws and the ongoing debates about authenticity versus entertainment, the series continues to offer compelling storytelling that resonates beyond dedicated F1 fans.
We launch into the 2025 calendar with Australia over the March 14-16 weekend, with five rookies, FIA boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s bizarre no-swearing diktat and the massive rules overhaul coming up in 2026.
So as suggests Will Buxton, “Grab the popcorn!"
PS: Watch out for an otherwise-suave Buxton fumbling to get ‘Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber’ right!
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