Max Verstappen will probably not be part of the Netflix documentary “Drive to Survive” in the future, even if Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali tried to mediate between the producers and the sometimes angry drivers. But what the Dutchman has seen of the new season has confirmed his decision not to be a part of it.
Verstappen had declined to participate in the current season because he wasn’t happy with how scenes and rivalries were taken out of context to artificially build drama.
“I’ve seen the benefits of gaining more popularity, but for me you’ve gotten to a point now where it’s more ‘keeping up with the Formula 1 World’,” he feels more like the family reality series remembered by Kim Kardashian (“Keeping up with the Kardashians”).
Verstappen feels confirmed in his opinion when he sees episodes about the two McLaren drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris. “These are two great guys, but they made Lando look like a little ass, which he’s not at all,” complains the Red Bull driver.
Verstappen: Used statements from earlier
“I know Lando. He’s a funny guy, a great guy. And when you watch the episode you’re like, ‘What about him?’ And when you’re new and you’ve never seen a Formula 1 car, you don’t like it.” According to him, that shouldn’t be the case. “He’s a great guy. But you get the wrong impression and that’s what happened to me at the beginning.”
That’s another reason why Verstappen doesn’t want to be part of the project. Despite this, he was heard again and again in season 4, which surprised him. “These were probably things from 2018 or something that they used again, but that’s not right,” he says angrily. “I could hear that my voice is a little different.”
“I also noticed that when I said something, they were just around and they used that. I have to be a little more careful,” he says.
Mick Schumacher: Netflix needs to be more accurate now
Other drivers also agree with Verstappen’s tenor: “As a driver, you don’t want to be portrayed differently than you are. That’s the most important thing we ask for,” says Pierre Gasly. “We’re happy to take part, but only as long as we’re portrayed correctly.” Esteban Ocon agrees: “It’s important to show ourselves as we are.”
Gasly himself hasn’t had a problem with that so far, although he can clearly see that some things have been done for the show – but nothing as far as his personality is concerned. Gasly was hardly present in the new season, but his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who was portrayed “relatively normal” according to the Frenchman.
For Mick Schumacher, Netflix has fulfilled its purpose with its production: “The first seasons are interesting and dramatic, which brings a lot of people to sport,” says the German. But now it’s time to be more “accurate” and not to artificially mix comments and radio messages, but to stick to the truth.
But even then, Verstappen would have preferred an alternative: “It’s better if Formula 1 itself simply did a season summary. That would be nicer to look at,” he says. “But that’s just my opinion and not everyone has to share it. I just don’t like being a part of it.”