From Doohan’s demotion to a Las Vegas team boss special – 5 standout moments in Season 8 of Drive to Survive

After the Barcelona Shakedown and two weeks of pre-season testing in Bahrain, it’s almost time to kick off F1’s new era with the Australian Grand Prix – but before that, Drive to Survive returns to our screens on Netflix for one last look at 2025. Having watched all eight episodes from Season 8, F1.com presents five of the many standout moments…

Doohan’s F1 dream becomes a nightmare

Season 8 starts with plenty of excitement and anticipation as cameras track the sizeable crop of rookies gearing up for their full-time rookie F1 seasons, but two drivers find themselves demoted – or swapping seats – after just half a dozen Grands Prix.

One of those is Jack Doohan, whose trials and tribulations at Alpine – following a winter filled with media rumours over his long-term future – are tracked in ‘Episode 2: Strictly Business’, revealing some brutal and emotional experiences along the way.

The situation intensifies in Miami where, via some previous, tense exchanges with Alpine Executive Advisor Flavio Briatore, Doohan is informed that he has lost his seat – something the youngster, fresh from receiving email death threats, struggles to process alongside father and motorcycle racing legend Mick.

As the dust settles on the news, Doohan returns for a sit-down chat with Netflix and delivers a particularly heartbreaking line. After just seven outings, including his Abu Dhabi 2024 debut, he sighs: “I wasn’t able to enjoy being an F1 driver – something that I dreamt of for so long.”

With Doohan out of the frame, in comes 2024 Williams super-sub Franco Colapinto to take his place, but a Qualifying crash at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix does not go down well, and he is the next to deal with Briatore pulling no punches…

Inside McLaren’s ‘Papaya Rules’ approach

After Doohan’s pain, the next big topic Drive to Survive gets stuck into is the battle between McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and the so-called ‘Papaya Rules’ that made so many headlines throughout the season.

Episode 3, aptly titled ‘The Number 1 Problem’, gives us insights from every angle: Piastri on the work that’s gone in to step up and challenge Norris; how Norris is dealing with that extra pressure; and McLaren’s attempts to maintain parity in such a situation.

Behind-the-scenes shoots with Norris and his friends at a golf course, and Piastri and team boss Zak Brown at a special Paul Ricard track day, deliver some entertaining conversations and moments, before the Australian says of the intra-team fight: “As long as it doesn’t start getting ugly – that’s the worst thing that either of us could do.”

Cut to the Canadian Grand Prix and that collision. A day later, we join Norris on his trip to the premiere of F1 The Movie in New York, where around some post-race banter with then Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, he openly admits: “I’ve lost a lot of confidence in myself. I hate admitting it, but he’s [Piastri] running away with it.”

Netflix also bring in 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg for some no-nonsense insight into team mate rivalries, given his time alongside Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, before the season continues and charts the remaining twists and turns towards Abu Dhabi.

Horner’s dramatic Red Bull departure

Talking of twists and turns, Episode 4, titled ‘A Bull With No Horns’, has them from start to finish. Focusing on Red Bull’s turbulent season, we dive into Liam Lawson’s rapid promotion and demotion, an internal power struggle and Max Verstappen’s future.

As it transpired, Lawson spent just two rounds alongside the four-time World Champion before being sent back to Racing Bulls, with Yuki Tsunoda going the other way. “[Verstappen] didn’t agree with it, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t up to him,” says the New Zealander.

Then the spotlight moves over to Verstappen himself and paddock chatter of a potential switch to Mercedes amid Red Bull’s early-season car struggles – Silver Arrows boss Toto Wolff chipping in with his interest, and George Russell suggesting there is a “play and stir” from the Verstappen camp.

After the British Grand Prix, with Red Bull still lacking pace and questions still being asked about Verstappen’s future, Horner is removed as team boss. “I feel a real sense of loss and hurt,” he says, fresh from the decisive meeting in London. “I never imagined to be in this situation.”

Far away from the pit wall, Horner is shown watching F1 on his sofa at home with wife and Spice Girls member Geri, before sharing more details around his departure, and reading out a text message he received from nemesis Wolff in the aftermath.

Antonelli’s rookie rollercoaster ride

Wolff goes on to play a key role in Episode 6, ‘The Duel’, which covers Kimi Antonelli’s promotion to Mercedes as a teenager, and what it’s like to follow in the footsteps of seven-time World Champion Hamilton.

Early on, Antonelli admits to feeling “overwhelmed” as he works through various partner and sponsor commitments alongside on-track preparations. “The dream was to become an F1 driver, but it hasn’t been easy – my whole life has intensified,” he says. “I’ve been struggling to sleep, because it feels like you’re always going and you never stop.”

Antonelli is shown with tears in his eyes following a tough Belgian Grand Prix weekend, and admits to feeling “very ashamed” about his performance, before a day out go-karting with his racing driver father Marco helps to trigger a reset.

From there, Antonelli shows positive signs in and out of the car, culminating in a breakthrough at the Sao Paulo Sprint weekend (where he qualified or finished second in every session), and backing up the long-held belief Mercedes chiefs had in him.

Asked by Netflix if he feels proud of Antonelli at the end of the year, Wolff replies: “Yes. I think it’s what we knew he has, and something that gives great satisfaction. His first season was difficult, but I think seeing him perform in that way, it was just another indication that Kimi will be very successful in the future.”

Team Principals’ special in Las Vegas

The fifth and final selection for our list is a new Drive to Survive feature, where we join several Team Principals – McLaren’s Brown, Mercedes’ Wolff, Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur and Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies – at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

In a similar way to last season’s driver special in Singapore, ‘Episode 7: What Happens In Vegas’ gives viewers insight into the lesser-told role and responsibilities of a team boss, and how their weekends typically shape up on and off the track.

There are some amusing moments, such as Mekies getting stuck in traffic and being asked by a member of the public if he is here for the F1 weekend, as well as the frustrations that come with missing out on results – highlighted by Vasseur in a car journey to his hotel.

Las Vegas also brought the drama of McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri being disqualified from second and fourth respectively, blowing the title race wide open. A tense scene is captured on the pit wall, with Brown and right-hand man Andrea Stella discussing potential issues, before being told that Netflix – as always – are filming…

The new season of Drive to Survive is available to watch on Netflix from February 27, one week ahead of the 2026 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 6-8. Click here to view every episode today.