'I control you every millimetre': Best moments of Drive to Survive Season 7

Let the binge begin.

Season 7 of Formula 1: Drive to Survive dropped Friday as the must-stream TV series continues to offer a compelling behind-the-scenes look at motorsport's elite class.

The 2024 season had no shortage of drama on and off the track, and Drive to Survive's latest batch of episodes will certainly satiate fans starved for F1 content until next week's season-opener in Australia.

There's Lewis Hamilton's move from Mercedes to Ferrari, the free-agent frenzy surrounding Carlos Sainz and a potential power struggle at Red Bull as allegations of inappropriate behaviour lead to an investigation into boss Christian Horner, who is later cleared of all wrongdoing. And that's just the first episode.

We've gone through the entire season to bring you the top moment(s) from each episode.

As always, spoilers galore.

The drama for Season 7 started before Season 6 even dropped last winter. Lewis Hamilton made the shocking announcement that he will be moving on from Mercedes to join rival Ferrari in 2025.

Although financial details were not announced, Hamilton will reportedly earn ... 100 million dollars (hopefully, you read that in Dr. Evil's voice). That's per year, by the way.

With a full year and 24 races to go, as journalist Will Buxton quips, Hamilton and Mercedes are now like a divorced couple that still have to live together for the remainder of the year. Not awkward at all, right?

Also totally not awkward: that caught-on-camera moment where Sainz asks Hamilton if he thinks Mercedes will win again, and Hamilton says no.

From Sade to Europe, the "Smooth Operator" is singing a different tune as Hamilton's bombshell deal leaves Sainz as the odd man out at Ferrari. (Charles Leclerc inked an extension days before Hamilton's deal.)

Rather than act like a lame duck, Sainz uses the opportunity as leverage and, right out of the gate, finishes third at the season-opener in Bahrain (higher than Leclerc and Hamilton, by the way). Sainz details his emergency appendix surgery that forced him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and brushes aside any concerns about his rapid recovery as he returns to the grid and wins in Australia just two weeks later.

It's the nickname that had dogged Lando Norris, and credit to the McLaren driver for opening up about his struggles with the pressure and how he deals with it mentally during Episode 2. Mercedes driver George Russell thinks the nickname is "a little bit harsh," while 2009 world champion Jenson Button (who appears to have replaced Danica Patrick among the Drive to Survive talking heads this season) believes other drivers will use it against him.

Norris fires back at the "keyboard warriors" and secures his maiden victory in F1 at the Miami Grand Prix in May (with a little bit of luck from a timely safety car). The battle for the championship is now on between Norris and padel partner Max Verstappen. While McLaren boss Zak Brown believed they'd need Verstappen to slip on a banana peel to win, Mario Kart style, it seems a bollard did the trick instead. Verstappen sustained floor damage to his car after running over a cone and settled for second.

After Verstappen edges Norris for the win in Imola, Episode 2 jumps to June and the Austrian GP as the two tangle for the lead on the track and collide. Norris uses the most British of British slang, saying, "You numpty." While Verstappen limps back to the pits and salvages a fifth-place finish, Norris is forced to retire his car. Norris puts the blame squarely on Verstappen, who doesn't apologize. Is there friction between them? (Probably not really, but for the sake of the show, let's play it out and see how it goes.)

We then leap to late August and Verstappen's home race in the Netherlands (don't worry, the show circles back). The orange army is out in full force to support their man, and the roars erupt as Verstappen snatches the lead from pole-sitter Norris. But Norris reclaims P1 and wins in dominant fashion — nearly 23 seconds ahead of Verstappen — then claps back with the Red Bull driver's catchphrase: "Simply lovely, huh?"

Holy tampering, Batman! As we mentioned in our Season 6 review, the open courting of other drivers is one of the quirks of the sport that makes it so spicy. All's fair in love, war and Formula One.

With Hamilton moving on, Episode 3 examines what's next for Mercedes. Although the likes of Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and yes, even Verstappen, are mentioned, the camera pans down to 17-year-old Kimi Antonelli.

During a test session, Wolff raves about Antonelli and even cuts short a phone call with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to continue watching the junior phenom. "I enjoy watching this more," he says.

Wolff believes Antonelli has the same potential as Verstappen and legendary drivers Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. (But not Hamilton?)

Williams team principal (and former Wolff protege) James Vowles is brimming with confidence in Episode 4 and looking to turn the fortunes around at the once legendary team. Cue the highlight reel for the nine-time constructors' champions and seven-time drivers' champions, although they haven't captured either one since Canada's Jacques Villeneuve helped them win both in 1997. The team hasn't even won a race since (checks notes) Pastor Maldonado at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix (yes, that actually happened).

Logan Sargeant is told he will not be back next season, opening the door to sign Sainz (say that five times fast). Sidenote: Sargeant didn't even make it to the end of the season as rookie Franco Colapinto replaced him following the Dutch GP.

Williams appears to be the front-runner for Sainz's services, but not so fast. Enter Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, who may have the inside track. The soon-to-be Audi factory squad teamed with his father, Carlos Sainz Sr., to win the Dakar Rally. Still, Williams has the contract ready and the champagne on ice, but Sainz is a no-show: "Flavio called me."

Enter Flavio Briatore, the recently appointed executive advisor for Alpine. During his time as team principal for the Enstone, U.K.-based team, Briatore guided them to four drivers' championships and three constructors' championships with Schumacher and Alonso. He's also one of the most controversial figures in the sport, receiving a lifetime ban for his role in the 2008 "Crashgate" scandal (his suspension was later overturned).

Ominous music intensifies.

Briatore's back and it doesn't matter what his title is. He's the Big Boss calling the shots.

The sweepstakes for Sainz conclude, and just when it looks like he'll sign with Alpine and meet with Briatore, surprise! Williams wins in the end.

Rewind to the Monaco Grand Prix in May for Episode 5 as Leclerc looks to win his hometown race following years of heartbreak and disappointment. Is there a "le curse" for Leclerc? The pressure is high amid super yachts and supercars at the apex of F1's glitz and glamour with a street circuit that demands perfection. The Monegasque driver prevails, winning from pole position to fulfill a boyhood dream.

Also, you can't help but laugh when Leclerc's card gets declined for insufficient funds.

We circle back to McLaren for Episode 6, and why are they filming in Slovenia? Ah, McLaren boss and noted Kings fan Zak Brown is hanging out with L.A. captain Anze Kopitar.

McLaren's rise to the top of the constructors' standings has hiccups as we fill in the missing gaps from Episode 2. The team botches golden opportunities in Montreal and Silverstone, then comes Hungary, where McLaren's drivers are called to the pits in the wrong order. McLaren orders Norris to swap positions and give teammate Oscar Piastri the lead. Norris relents eventually, but never has a team looked so glum after finishing 1-2.

Norris and Piastri continue to race hard against each other in Monza, opening the door for Leclerc to swoop in and take the victory. "Papaya rules" are then laid down as the team finally establishes Norris as their best option in the drivers' championship — as it turned out, something they should have set sooner.

Drivers being bros. Episode 7 offers a twist to the formula as it follows besties Leclerc, Norris, Russell, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly during September's Singapore Grand Prix weekend. The quintet, who rose through the ranks together as kids, contribute candid camera moments from their smartphones that are weaved into the episode.

Leclerc chiding Gasly — "You're always late. Always." — when he arrives for dinner at the Ritz Carlton feels more authentic than any scene where their best friends or girlfriends ask them questions likely prompted by a producer. To steal a line from the episode and toss it back, it's those reality TV moments that make them the Kardashians of Formula One.

Norris dominates the Singapore GP, winning by nearly 21 seconds over Verstappen. As much as Episode 2 liked to portray them as bitter rivals now, here we see Norris hitching a ride with Verstappen on his private jet.

We also see how much of a toll the humidity takes on the drivers as a pale Russell, who says he lost four kilograms, heads for a cold bath and struggles to breathe normally. It's moments like these that really pull back the curtain.

How did we make it to Episode 8 before getting to Daniel Ricciardo? No driver has benefitted more from the exposure of the series as, over the years, we've followed him from leaving Red Bull and branching out with Renault to a disappointing stint with McLaren and then returning to the Red Bull family with their B-team RB. As Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez struggles, could that open the door for Ricciardo? Yuki Tsunoda? Liam Lawson? David Coulthard? (Joking about that last one, but even the long-since-retired DC says he thinks he could do a better job. Ouch.)

Horner favours Ricciardo, however, the "Netflix story" doesn't come to fruition. Not only doesn't Ricciardo replace Perez, but he also loses his seat with RB. (The episode portrays this as a shocker, but Ricciardo had already said his goodbyes during the Singapore GP.) Reserve driver Lawson, who had filled in for an injured Ricciardo during the previous year, gets another opportunity to show what he's got, and it's "elbows out" as he battles Perez on the track in Mexico City. While that appears to earn Lawson a trip to the (team) principal's office, and Horner warns him that it's unacceptable, guess who ends up replacing Perez for 2025?

We return to Alpine for Episode 9 as the team battles Haas for sixth in the constructors' championship, and tens of millions of dollars, thanks to a late-season surge.

There's just one problem: Briatore already handed Esteban Ocon his walking papers for next season, and the French driver has linked up with Haas. Ocon's poor results in Las Vegas and Qatar lead Briatore to give Ocon the boot early as incoming rookie Jack Doohan makes his F1 debut ahead of schedule at the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP.

While Doohan is excited about the opportunity, for the Mortal Kombat fans out there, Briatore might as well have told him: "Your soul is mine!"

Harsher in hindsight: Briatore's words take another twist, with the team having since signed Colapinto to a multi-year deal, putting Doohan on the hot seat before he's even properly taken a seat. Colapinto will start as a test/reserve driver, but for how long?

Honourable mention: "I’ll do anything to be P6 with Alpine. Finito," Briatore says. You know what? You make your own witty remark and obscure pop culture reference after that one. Briatone is just embracing this role now.

You knew they couldn't go the full season without an appearance from former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner. Like Ricciardo, Steiner became a star during the show's early seasons and can always be counted on to drop an f-bomb, even in his short appearance here in Episode 9.

We're down to Episode 10. With Verstappen closing in on the drivers' championship, Norris needs to stage a last stand in Sao Paulo. Fittingly, this episode is titled "End Game," as, like Thanos, Verstappen is inevitable. After starting near the back in 17th, Verstappen puts on a masterclass to snap a 10-race winless drought in the rain. Flawless victory. Meanwhile, pole-sitter Norris — whose name Russell joked pre-race was already on the trophy — finishes sixth as his title hopes wash away.

While Verstappen locks up his fourth consecutive drivers' championship in Las Vegas, the constructors' title goes down to the wire between McLaren and Ferrari at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Piastri gets knocked out of contention by Verstappen (buy a lottery ticket, Montoya), and it's up to pole-sitter Norris to fend off the Ferraris to the finish line. Norris wins for the fourth time in the season and McLaren captures its first constructors' championship since 1998.

That wraps up Season 7. Is it March 16 yet? Time to binge again then.