Latest news with #Formula1:DrivetoSurvive
Business Upturn
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Business Upturn
Is ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive' returning for season 8? Everything we know so far
By Aman Shukla Published on July 11, 2025, 20:00 IST Last updated July 11, 2025, 16:46 IST Fans of high-octane racing and juicy paddock drama are buzzing with one big question: Will Formula 1: Drive to Survive return for Season 8? After Season 7 roared onto Netflix on March 7, 2025, packed with moments like Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari switch and McLaren's constructors' triumph, the appetite for more is stronger than ever. Let's dive into what's known about a potential Season 8. Is Season 8 Confirmed? As of July 2025, Netflix hasn't officially greenlit Formula 1: Drive to Survive Season 8. But don't count it out yet—there's plenty of evidence pointing to its return. Posts on X mention Netflix crews filming during the 2025 season's testing in February. Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz even joked about 'season 856' while spotting cameras at qualifying, suggesting production is underway. The show's a proven hit, with Season 6 drawing nearly seven million viewers. Though Season 7 saw a slight viewership dip, it remains a Netflix powerhouse. Executive Producer James Gay-Rees hinted to The Hollywood Reporter that Season 8 is likely, noting some shows 'run for 20 years.' With Box to Box Films backed by a hefty investment from Bruin Capital, the resources are there to keep the engines running. All signs suggest Season 8 is on track, even if Netflix hasn't made it official yet. When Could Season 8 Drop? Drive to Survive tends to hit Netflix just before the F1 season starts, building hype for the first race. Season 6 landed on February 23, 2024, and Season 7 arrived on March 7, 2025. Following this pattern, Season 8 could premiere around late February or early March 2026, likely a week or two before the 2026 F1 opener. The exact date depends on the F1 calendar, but early March feels like a solid bet for fans to mark their calendars. What Might Season 8 Cover? The 2025 F1 season is already shaping up to be a blockbuster, and Drive to Survive thrives on turning real-world drama into gripping episodes. Here are some storylines that could dominate Season 8: Hamilton's Ferrari Adventure Lewis Hamilton's 2025 move to Ferrari is the talk of the paddock. Expect cameras to capture his transition from Mercedes to the iconic red team, including any tension with teammate Charles Leclerc. How will he adapt to Ferrari's world? This could be the season's biggest arc. Rookies and Team Shuffles The 2025 grid welcomes new drivers like Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Liam Lawson, and Jack Doohan. Their struggles and triumphs as F1 rookies will likely get plenty of screen time. Carlos Sainz's move to Williams after Ferrari's snub could also be a compelling redemption story. Charles Leclerc's Dog, Leo Let's be real—Charles Leclerc's dog, Leo, is a paddock superstar. Fans on X are clamoring for more of his adorable antics, and a few Leo cameos would add a heartwarming touch to the intensity. Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple eyes US Formula 1 broadcast rights after 'F1: The Movie' success: FT reports
Apple is in talks to acquire U.S. broadcast rights to screen Formula 1 racing when the contract becomes available next year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The report follows the strong performance of Apple's high-octane Brad Pitt-starrer " F1: The Movie ", which has grossed more than $300 million in worldwide box office collection as of Wednesday, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo. Currently, Walt Disney's ESPN holds the exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for F1 through the 2025 season. However, ESPN's exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract with F1 expired, sources told Reuters in February, opening the door for new bidders. Apple and F1 did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Apple is aiming to capitalize on the sport's growing popularity in the U.S. which was also driven by the success of Netflix's hit docu-series "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" that provided an engaging behind-the-scenes look at the sport. Netflix is also among the contenders for the F1 U.S. broadcasting rights from the 2026 season, according to media reports in February. Apple TV+, known for original shows such as "Ted Lasso", "The Morning Show", "Shrinking" and "Severance", has been trailing behind competitors like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video in subscriber numbers, and acquiring F1 rights could help boost its sports content offering. Streaming platforms are investing heavily in exclusive rights to dominate the lucrative live sports market to drive subscriber growth and increase ad dollars in an increasingly competitive landscape. Netflix paid more than $5 billion to be the exclusive home of World Wrestling Entertainment's "Raw" in several territories from January this year.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
George Russell and Max Verstappen F1 swap would be unthinkable – but Mercedes man deserves clarity
As the Formula One enterprise returns to real racing this weekend in Austria – away from the sprinkle and stardust of movie premieres in New York and London – one of the season's standout drivers so far is in an unusual predicament. A scenario, you might say, worthy of a drama. No doubt Box to Box, the producers of Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive, are rubbing their hands together. George Russell, at this present stage, can do little more. The 27-year-old, in his fourth season at Mercedes and first without Lewis Hamilton by his side, has taken to the role of 'team leader' with poise and serenity. As the Brit acknowledged to The Independent last month, he's been 'getting better and better'. Advertisement Let's take the last two races. Last time out, in Canada, one of the laps of the year saw Russell clinch a memorable pole position. From there, he thwarted any challenge behind him with a composed drive out in front to victory. In a Mercedes car which has been capricious so far this season, it was arguably Russell's best weekend in F1 to date. George Russell and Max Verstappen could potentially swap teams (Getty) The previous race, Russell held his nerve – and his tongue in the media pen afterwards – after being clattered into by arch-rival Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver was duly punished and remains a penalty point away from a race ban, ahead of Silverstone next week. But Verstappen is lurking in Russell's background in more ways than one. Advertisement Having signed a two-year deal in the summer of 2023, Russell's current contract with Mercedes expires at the end of the year. His teammate, 18-year-old prodigy Kimi Antonelli, is the golden boy of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. The Italian is going nowhere. But why the delay for Russell? The Brit is fourth in the world championship, having secured five podiums in 10 races – his best-ever start to a season. He is just 19 points off Verstappen, who has two wins to his name. Russell is executing the maximum possible points outlay on nearly every weekend. Surely, therefore, he deserves some clarity over his future? Yet speaking to Sky Sports ahead of this weekend's round 11 in Spielberg, Russell spilt the beans on the worst-kept secret in the paddock: Mercedes boss Wolff does not want to close the door on poaching Verstappen. 'As Mercedes, they want to be back on top, and if you're going to be back on top, you need to make sure you've got the best drivers, the best engineers, the best pit crew, and that's what Mercedes are chasing,' Russell said. Advertisement 'So, it's only normal that conversations with the likes of Verstappen are ongoing. But from my side, if I'm performing as I'm doing, what have I got to be concerned about? Russell won the last race in Canada (AP) 'There are two seats in every Formula One team.' To an extent, Russell is correct in his view. All he can do is prove his worth every week out on track, eking as much performance out of the Mercedes W16 as possible. This weekend, he returns to a race he won last year. Next week, he returns to Silverstone, his home track, where he picked up pole position in 2024. Another set of podiums is the obvious target, behind the frontrunning pace of the McLarens. Advertisement Over to you, then, Toto. The Mercedes F1 CEO, a few months ago, was adamant he was not interested in 'flirting' with the prospect of poaching Verstappen (who is without his usual race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase this weekend in Austria) from fierce rivals Red Bull and main adversary Christian Horner. The Dutchman, for his part, insists he will be staying with Red Bull in 2026; he has a £40m-a-year contract until the end of 2028. Christian Horner and Toto Wolff are arch rivals (Getty) But here's the catch for Verstappen and his world championship ambitions. Red Bull are, for the first time, launching their own power unit programme for the new set of engine and chassis regulations next year, in partnership with Ford. That brings with it an element of uncertainty. On the flip side, much like the hybrid era phase of Silver Arrows dominance, Mercedes are fancied as the favourites for next year, such is their expertise in the engine department. So, could Verstappen replace Russell? It would amount to an against-the-grain move on the part of Wolff, dropping his current top dog for the Dutchman, who is unquestionably a generational driver but, in 2021, was his greatest adversary. Yet, given the vocal rivalry between the two drivers, as well as the two teams, it feels almost unthinkable. It would, simply put, feel bizarre. Advertisement And what would that mean for Russell? There are no open seats for 2026 at McLaren, Ferrari or Aston Martin. Therefore, his only option for a front-of-the-pack team would be a move to Red Bull in an effective swap deal. Russell working with Horner, as opposed to against him? Again, very bizarre. The forecast for the next month, as we build towards the summer break and 'silly season', should be obvious for Wolff: sign up Russell, give your star driver the clarity he deserves, form a plan for the future, and win with your man. It is a view shared up and down the paddock. We await the next steps with intrigue.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Apple bids for Formula 1 rights in US: Financial Times
Apple is in talks to acquire the U.S. broadcast rights to screen Formula 1 when the contract becomes available next year, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, following the success of Brad Pitt-starrer "F1: The Movie". The report follows the strong box office performance of Apple's high-octane racing film "F1: The Movie", which has grossed $293 million in its first 10 days, according to Variety and other outlets. The iPhone maker is challenging current U.S. broadcaster ESPN, owned by Disney, for the Formula 1 rights next year, the FT report said, citing sources familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report. Netflix's "Formula 1: Drive to Survive" series helped boost the sport's popularity in the United States, a momentum Apple now hopes to capitalize on. Several media outlets reported in February that Netflix is among the contenders for Formula 1's U.S. broadcasting rights from the 2026 season as ESPN's exclusivity period to negotiate a new contract with F1 expired. Apple and F1 did not immediately respond to Reuters request for a comment.
Express Tribune
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Formula 1 broadcast deal: Apple in talks to stream F1 in US next year, following success of Brad Pitt's movie
Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) is reportedly in discussions to acquire the US broadcast rights for Formula 1 starting next year. According to a report from the Financial Times, the F1 broadcasting deal runs until 2026. This move comes after the success of Apple's high-profile racing film, F1: The Movie, which has generated $293 million at the box office and has become Apple's biggest theatrical release, as per CNBC. The tech giant is looking to challenge ESPN, currently owned by Disney, for the exclusive Formula 1 rights in the US from 2026 onwards, the report suggests, citing insiders familiar with the matter. While the report has yet to be confirmed by Reuters, it follows growing interest in F1 content, which has seen a surge in popularity. The increased demand is partly due to Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive series, which significantly raised the profile of the sport in the US. The success of the Netflix series has created a new wave of interest that Apple hopes to leverage in securing the broadcast rights. Additionally, reports earlier this year indicated that Netflix is also vying for the US broadcasting rights from the 2026 season, following the expiry of ESPN's exclusivity period for negotiations with Formula 1. Neither Apple nor Formula 1 have responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
