Formula 1 racer Lando Norris has expressed his disapproval over the depiction of his rivalry with Max Verstappen in the popular Netflix series, Drive to Survive. Norris, who is currently leading the World Championship, has critically labelled the representation of his 2024 title struggle against the Dutchman as “fabricated nonsense”.
According to the series, Verstappen was deeply dissatisfied following his loss to Norris at the Miami Grand Prix, marking the Brit’s first-ever F1 win. However, some of the scenes used were from a different occasion at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, where the Dutch driver again lost to Norris.
Norris, who voiced his concerns ahead of his victorious Australian Grand Prix run, called for a more honest representation of events in the show. He stated, “They need to show the truth about people more. I’m not a fan of fake stuff. I want facts. I don’t want made-up scripts and fabricated nonsense.”
He further criticised the exaggerated depiction of the animosity between him and Verstappen, arguing that such drama wasn’t needed, and the series should stick to the facts. Norris also expressed his disapproval over the manipulation of events, stating that the show had “drifted too far away” from being a true documentary of the season.
Meanwhile, George Russell, who shared the podium with Norris and Verstappen at the Australian Grand Prix, seemed unperturbed by his portrayal in the Netflix series. He stated, “I don’t really care how I’m portrayed there, I care about how I perform in the car and how I work with my team.”
Verstappen, a known detractor of the show, had previously ridiculed this particular segment of the series. Responding to media queries, he revealed that he does not pay attention to the show and has not watched it. He said, “It’s just unfortunate you see these things pop up, but you just need to quickly ignore it so it doesn’t come up again in your feed.”
While the Netflix series has been criticized for its sensationalized portrayal of the racers and the events, it also brings Formula 1 closer to the fans, offering them an inside look into the thrilling world of motorsports. However, the call for authenticity from the racers themselves suggests that the show needs to strike a balance between entertainment and reality. As the debate continues, it will be interesting to see how the show evolves in its future seasons.