RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Netflix and Formula 1 have officially confirmed that the hit docuseries Drive to Survive will return for a ninth season and in true DTS style they've cause a controversy with just a single image.
The hit show (is it still a hit?) will drop in in early 2027, following all the drama, new technical regulations, and grid shake-ups of the 2026 racing campaign.
After eight seasons spanning back to its 2019 debut, the show continues to divide the paddock and fanbase alike. While reactions to the renewal range from excitement over fresh storylines-like the rise of Mercedes prodigy Kimi Antonelli-to growing fatigue over a predictable structure, the show will still aim to explore the sport's "hidden sides." Speculation is already mounting around episodes featuring the grid debuts of Audi and Cadillac, alongside intense driver rivalries.
The Omission Causing Immediate Backlash
Despite the hype surrounding the renewal, a single promotional image released alongside the announcement by Netflix and F1 has already set off a wave of controversy across social media: Max Verstappen is nowhere to be seen .
For a series documenting top-tier Formula 1 action, omitting the four-time World Champion from the initial hero promo has raised eyebrows. However, long-time viewers know that Drive to Survive is famous for manufacturing controversy out of thin air-and this strategic exclusion might just be their latest stunt.
Verstappen's stormy relationship with the Netflix production team is well documented. The Dutch driver famously boycotted interviews for the series in earlier seasons, citing the show's tendency to fake rivalries, edit quotes out of context, and over-dramatize incidents. By placing Verstappen in the background-or leaving him out of promotional materials entirely-Netflix and F1 may simply be leaning into the meta-drama to generate clicks and debates before a single episode of Season 9 even airs.
AutoGuide's Take
There is no denying the historic impact of Drive to Survive. When it first landed on screens, it was a revolution for motorsports. It brought Formula 1 into the mainstream American consciousness, introducing millions of new fans to the sport by lifting the visor and giving us an unprecedented look inside the lives, tensions, and personalities of F1 drivers.
But that groundbreaking peak was nearly nine years ago. Today, the show feels like a sad shadow of its former self.
Rather than offering genuine peek-behind-the-curtain documentary filmmaking, the series has settled into a tired, formulaic routine of stitched-together radio calls, dramatic pause edits, and recycled storylines. Netflix hasn't done anything truly new or innovative with the format in years. Unless Season 9 manages to reinvent how it covers the sport under the 2026 regulations, Drive to Survive risks remaining a victim of its own repetitive formula.
We'll definitely still watch it though.
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