F1 Drive to Survive bombshells from fireball crash, Verstappen rivalries to Hamilton shock reveal

Formula 1: Drive to Survive returns to Netflix today — we bring you a recap of the most dramatic and explosive moments from seasons 1 through 7 that left us with chills.

It’s that time of the year again, when Netflix drops one of its most-watched series that brings viewers thrills, emotional highs (and lows) and world-class motor racing.

Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8 is now streaming on Netflix and it promises behind-the-scenes action like never before.

In preparation of the binge-watching session, we bring you a recap of some of the most dramatic and explosive moments from seasons one through seven which left us gasping audibly.

Let this be your trip down the F1 memory lane as we attempt to jog your recollection with some of Formula 1 racing’s most thrilling moments featured on the hit Netflix show over the years.

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

Season 1 of Drive to Survive featured action in spades — and two of its lead stars were four-time World Champion Max Verstappen and F1’s golden boy Daniel Ricciardo.

The two drivers were constantly butting heads throughout season 1 and their intra-team rivalry was rich fodder for the camera. Their conflict came to a head at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and resulted in a crash for the ages — not so much because of its intensity or damage, but more so because it ultimately led to Ricciardo’s departure from Red Bull Racing and straight into the arms of their biggest rival — Renault.

Episode three — Redemption — was a deep dive into the Verstappen-Ricciardo rivalry, exploring the build-up of tension and the ultimate fallout from the collision.

The drivers had pretty much been inseparable from the start of the Baku race, surviving early wheel-to-wheel contact by a hair’s breadth.

Verstappen’s refusal to yield even as the seemingly faster Ricciardo fought tooth and nail was a fight for the ages, and things finally boiled over on lap 40, when Ricciardo slammed into the rear of his team mate’s mean machine in an attempt to slipstream past him on the Turn 1 run.

Speaking about the dramatic collision 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.”

Excellent primetime television, that.

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

The 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix will forever live on in the minds of motorsport lovers and Formula 1 drivers — especially those racing on the grid at the time.

The race saw Romain Grosjean’s Haas engulfed in horrific, eat-you-alive flames and it was considered to be a certified miracle that Grosjean survived the horrific crash.

The ex-Haas driver crashed through the barriers in the opening lap itself as his vehicle spontaneously combusted into monster flames.

Onlookers were peering at the fiery wreck with instant grief, however miraculously, Grosjean emerged from the flames, having escaped death by the narrowest of margins.

He suffered extensive burns on both of his hands, and it turned out that his 179th Grand Prix was to be his last, the crash invariably spelling the end of his Formula 1 career.

Season three’s 9th episode, Man on Fire, took us behind the scenes and showed the impact the terrifying incident had on the rest of the 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,” while Sergio Perez reflected: “Only when you see those things do you believe the danger we go into.”daily-mirror-icon_tv_tv-news_formula-1

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s Silverstone collision — and that

World Champ Max Verstappen and his rivalries know no end, with another one for the books playing out in Drive to Survive’s fourth season, this time between seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and the Flying Dutchman.

The enthralling battle between the titular protagonists of season four came to a head in Silverstone, where the two collided on lap 1 itself with Verstappen suffering a 51G hit as he flew into the barriers at 180mph.

Hamilton had made contact with Verstappen’s mean machine at the infamous Copse corner at the British Grand Prix and the collision led to the Dutchman being taken to the hospital for checks.

Verstappen later admitted that he had raced with blurred vision in a few races after the collision 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.”

Speaking about the collision, Hamilton had said at the time: “If you don’t go for a gap, you may as well stop racing.”

The dramatic season finally culminated in Verstappen clinching his first‑ever Formula 1 World Championship after winning the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — a finale that saw him defeat Hamilton for the coveted title on the final lap after a (highly contentious) Safety Car restart.

Lewis Hamilton’s bombshell announcement in season 7

Having raced with Mercedes since 2013 and winning six out of his seven World Championship titles with them — Lewis Hamilton actually leaving the Silver Arrows was on no one’s bingo cards, ever.

So we don’t exaggerate when we say that Drive to Survive Season 7’s most dramatic moment was most definitely Hamilton’s bombshell pre-season announcement that he was leaving Toto Wolff’s team’s friendly ranks for the legacy red of the Scuderia for the 2025 season.

Tackled in the first episode itself, Netflix was able to capture some thrilling behind-the-scenes moments from the fallout of the announcement, even finding themselves in the room when Toto and Hamilton reunite onscreen after the announcement at the Mercedes car launch.

Raw and unfiltered comments from Toto regarding the switch and Mercedes’ future plans feature in Episode 1 and 3, with the Mercedes Team Principal questioning the timing of Hamilton’s move and even discussing the potential poaching 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.”

Ultimately the coveted Mercedes seat goes to Kimi Antonelli, the teenager and his family’s joy caught square on Netflix’s lens when he is informed. Hamilton’s Ferrari move also meant fan-favourite Carlos Sainz lost his seat with the Scuderia, prompting his eventual move to Williams (another gripping season seven storyline — and one of our favourite subplots).

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

Season 7’s Episode 5 titled ‘Le Curse of Leclerc’ takes us behind the scenes with Formula 1’s mega talented softboy Charles Leclerc.

One of the most emotionally rousing episodes in Drive to Survive’s loaded history, it gives us a closer glimpse into the life of Leclerc — something fans of the seemingly introverted motorsport champ can’t help but cherish.

Taking a closer look at his unfortunate run in all his home races at Monaco during his almost 9-year long career, Drive to Survive gives us one of the most emotionally charged moments of the show when Leclerc finally clinches the trophy that has been eluding him for so long.

Tender moments with friends and family are shown throughout the episode, including a lovely moment with Leclerc getting an at-home haircut from his mom and speaking about his late father and his F1 aspirations for him.

In a quintessential ‘I’m not crying, you’re crying’ moment as a viewer — Leclerc finally gets his hands on the Monza trophy after an electric drive in his home race, telling the cameras: “I definitely did not only realise my dream, but my father’s dream. He’s probably celebrating it from above.”

Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.