Netflix to Launch Powerful Docuseries on F1 Icon Niki Lauda’s Life, Legacy, and Legendary Comeback

Driven by Fire: The Niki Lauda Story

Los Angeles, CA – April 12, 2025 — Netflix is gearing up to release a compelling multi-part documentary series that dives deep into the extraordinary life of Niki Lauda, the Formula 1 legend whose grit, intellect, and resilience redefined the sport.

Titled Driven by Fire: The Niki Lauda Story, the docuseries is set to debut globally in late 2025, offering viewers an intimate and unflinching portrait of one of motorsport’s most enduring and admired figures.

The series will trace Lauda’s remarkable journey — from his early rise through the racing ranks to becoming a three-time Formula 1 World Champion (1975, 1977, 1984). It will also delve into the defining moment of his life: the devastating 1976 Nürburgring crash, which left him with severe burns and led many to believe his career was over. Just 42 days later, Lauda returned to racing — a comeback that became one of the most iconic and courageous acts in sports history.

Netflix’s production, helmed by the award-winning creators of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, features rare, never-before-seen archival footage, personal photographs, interviews with Lauda’s family, fellow racers, and F1 insiders, along with exclusive commentary from current F1 champions who consider Lauda a guiding influence.

“What sets this apart is the humanity behind the legend,” said executive producer Claudia Meier. “Niki wasn’t just a racer. He was a fighter, an innovator, and a brutally honest voice in a world obsessed with speed. His story is more than sport — it’s survival, strategy, and sheer willpower.”

The docuseries also explores Lauda’s second act after retiring from racing — his bold foray into the aviation industry, his business ventures, and his crucial role in shaping modern F1 as a key advisor and chairman at Mercedes-AMG Petronas, where he played a pivotal part in launching the dominant era of Lewis Hamilton.

While Lauda has been portrayed before — most famously in the 2013 film Rush — this new series aims to reveal the man behind the myth, through his own words and those of the people who knew him best.

As Formula 1 continues to captivate global audiences, Driven by Fire is poised to become a landmark documentary, celebrating not just a driver, but a life lived at full throttle.