Netflix’s Drive to Survive Triumphs Again at the Sports Emmys

The hit Netflix docuseries, Drive to Survive, has once again claimed victory in the “Outstanding Sports Documentary Series – Serialised” category at the 2025 Sports Emmys. This marks the sixth season of the series that covered the thrilling 2023 Formula One (F1) season.

The Impact of Drive to Survive on F1’s Popularity

Since its debut in 2019, Drive to Survive has made a significant impact on the sport. Despite facing criticism for creative editing and dramatization from some fans and drivers, there’s no denying its role in expanding F1’s popularity, particularly in the United States.

The first season, released amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, quickly found success and has since continued to grow a new fan base for the sport while breaking into new markets.

Overcoming Challenges in Season Six

The production team faced unique challenges during the sixth season as Red Bull driver Max Verstappen enjoyed an incredibly dominant season, winning 19 out of 22 Grands Prix. Executive Producer James Gay-Rees explained to F1.com at the time:

Obviously you’re not talking about a season where there’s a massive title rivalry, so really it’s interesting watching the fight for second, third, fourth taking place.

He continued, “It’s really good for some of the drivers in those teams, like Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, having really substantial stories this year. Daniel Ricciardo coming back to F1 was fantastic and a massive bonus for the series.

Despite initial concerns about Red Bull’s dominance, Gay-Rees shared that they nearly produced more episodes than usual due to the abundance of compelling storylines. He concluded, “It’s really good to shine a light on those other teams. Mercedes had a challenging year that they turned around, Aston Martin started strong but fell away, so there were some interesting and surprising shakes in it.