Max Verstappen Has Slammed Netflix’s Portrayal Of Mclaren Driver Lando Norris In Drive To Survive
Since its inaugural season in 2019, the show has been a huge hit. Drive to Survive has increased the appeal of Formula One among younger generations and has become a hit in the United States.
Max Verstappen Irked With The Way Lando Norris Is Shown In Drive To Survive
Formula One’s bet on a Netflix series has paid off handsomely. According to ESPN, viewership has climbed by 39% year over year. According to SportsPro Media, the TV network averaged 934,000 US viewers per race, no doubt bolstered by the success of Drive to Survive (DTS).
On a global scale, F1 has seen a 13 percent increase in viewership, with 70.3 million people tuning in for each Grand Prix.
Despite its favourable marketing impact, the Netflix documentary has detractors. Traditionalists argue that DTS is overly dramatic and creates fictitious rivals. Furthermore, some teams and drivers are not totally supportive of the show. Max Verstappen, the current world champion, is the most renowned of these.
Max Verstappen Will Not Be Competing In Drive To Survive
The documentary for the 2021 season did not include the Dutchman. Verstappen also declared that he will not compete in Drive to Survive again at the start of the 2022 season.
He explained why he wasn’t at work back in October.
“The issue is that they will always position you in the way they want,” he explained. “No matter what you say, they will try to make you look irresponsible, or whatever fits the theme of the series.”
“They made up a couple rivalries that don’t exist.” So I chose not to be a part of it and stopped doing interviews after that since there was nothing else you could show.”
After watching a portion of the new season four of Drive to Survive, Max Verstappen expressed his dissatisfaction with the documentary’s dramatic angle.
Verstappen’s Remark
The reigning champion slammed Netflix for portraying Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in the series. The McLaren teammates were represented as having a severe competition with one another, despite being buddies off the track.
Netflix’s portrayal of the pair did not sit well with Verstappen. “First and foremost, they’re quite pleasant. It also gave the impression that Lando was a d*ick, which he isn’t.
“I know Lando, as I believe many others do, as a witty, great guy with a great personality. And you say to yourself, “Who is this person, what the hell is going on?” when you see that episode.”
Soundbites That Are Unexpected
Verstappen was irritated by more than just this aspect of the show. He said that the latest season of Drive to Survive borrowed recordings from earlier seasons.
When asked about DTS, the Red Bull driver first stated how much he dislikes the show (quotes via Autosport).
He began, “It’s just not my thing.” “Of course, they attempt to choose instances – throughout the season – and create them in some way.”
“What I didn’t like, and it wasn’t even about me; it was about Lando [Norris] and Daniel [Ricciardo], two fantastic men.”
“I was astonished after seeing a few episodes of the previous one. I found myself suddenly speaking in it. It’s probably from last year or something they repurposed — something about fighting and what I enjoy doing.
“But that is obviously not right,” Verstappen continued. “I could tell my tone was a little different.”
Verstappen’s and others’ dissatisfaction with the dramatisation may be over. F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali is expected to speak with Netflix about the documentary’s ‘manufactured drama,’ according to reports. “It is vital that the plot does not drift away from reality, else it no longer fits,” Domenicali has remarked.
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