With Season Five of Formula 1-based hit Netflix docuseries ‘Drive to Survive’ to be released today, double World Champion Max Verstappen will finally discover if his concerns have been addressed.
The Dutchman has returned to the newest series having refused to take part in Season Four, with the 25-year-old having been frustrated by the storytelling and the editing, with clips from different races usually used to give the impression of a rivalry.
McLaren star Lando Norris recently accused the producers of doing just that, after reviewing an episode from the most recent season.
In the clip that Norris reviewed, the McLaren driver is seen at the Bahrain Grand Prix, where he’s heard saying over the radio that Daniel Ricciardo “forced me off”.
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The radio message used, though, wasn’t even from the Bahrain GP, with Norris believing that the show attempted to display a feud between Norris and his former team-mate.
“They made it out like we are biggest enemies here. ‘He forced me off’ – that wasn’t even from this race! Look, he’s not even near me!” stated Norris.
Norris’ comments echo the reasons why Verstappen refused to take part in Season Four; however, following meetings with the show’s producers, he will feature in the series to be released on Friday.
Speaking to the media about the show last year, Verstappen revealed that he told the producers that he wants a “realistic image” of him to be portrayed, without the use of radio messages from different races to paint a different picture.
“I always wanted to be part of it but said it needs to be a realistic image of how I am,” he told reporters late last year.
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“That’s why we needed to talk about it first and they understood my side of it, and I understand in general that when you create a show there needs to be drama and it needs to be exciting.
“But I’m a guy who thinks it’s also important that you are portrayed well, and not start to have comments put under different footage, when it didn’t happen like that.
“So I explained that was my view and that otherwise I didn’t want to be a part of it. They understood, so we’ll see once it comes out what they made of it.”