MAX VERSTAPPEN has slammed Netflix show ‘Drive to Survive’ for making Lando Norris look “a bit of a d***”.
The world champion has refused to take part in the show after saying it “faked a few rivalries which they don’t really exist”.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has once again hit out at Netflix docuseries Drive to Survive
Verstappen has criticised Netflix over their portrayal of McLaren star Lando Norris
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says he would speak to producers about stoking up non-existent rivalries.
And Verstappen was again quizzed about the show, which he said was “like ‘Keeping up with the Formula 1 World” – a reference to reality show ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’.
He said: “I watched a few episodes of the last one and I was surprised, I suddenly found myself talking in it.
“And it’s probably stuff from like 2018 or something they picked up and used again — about fighting and what I like to do.
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“But that already is not of course correct. I could hear that my voice was a bit different.
“And I also realised that a lot of times I was saying stuff and they were around with this beam [boom microphone in the paddock] and they picked up a lot of stuff.
“So, I’ll have to be a bit more careful with that as well. It’s just not my thing. And then of course they tried to pick moments and fabricate it in a way.”
He then highlighted an episode which hinted at some bitterness between McLaren duo Norris and his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.
Verstappen, who thought his car was on fire during practice for the Saudi Arabia GP, added: “What I didn’t like, and it’s not even about me, it was about Lando and Daniel, which I think are two great guys.
“They’re really nice, first of all. And it made it look like Lando was a bit of a d***, which he isn’t at all.
“And, again, I know Lando and I think many people know Lando as a funny guy, great guy – he has a great character.
“And actually when you look at that episode, you really think ‘who is this guy, what the hell is going on?’
“When you are new to the sport and you’ve never seen a racing car or Formula One car in general, they don’t like him. And why should that be?
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“Because he is a great guy and you just immediately get the wrong picture of a person. And that’s exactly what I think happened to me in the beginning.
“I’m someone [that] when you ruin it from the start, you don’t fix it. That’s it, you ruined it. So, that’s my stance and that’s how I’ll go forward.”
