Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has stated that he is not particularly keen to once again appear in Drive to Survive due to its over-dramatisation of Formula 1.
The Dutchman refused to partake in any interviews for the Netflix show in 2021 as he felt as though F1 had a tendency to fake rivalries that did not exist, and this was recently reinforced by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff.
The film crew has split opinion since its arrival into the paddock in 2018, and the 24-year-old believes that the show was on a downwards trajectory after the first season regarding its integrity.
“I won’t change my mind. I think that was already ruined after Season One. I think I’m quite a down to earth guy and I just want it to be facts and don’t hype it up,” he said, quoted by GrandPrix247.com
However, he appreciates the fact that, for certain demographics, the entertainment aspect of the sport portrayed by the series is important for viewership.
“I understand of course it needs to be like that for Netflix and most people like that; it’s just not my thing,” he added.
“I’ll probably watch it and see how nicely over the top it is and then just continue with my life and I’ll probably watch some other documentaries on Netflix.”
McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo also previously noted that the makers of the show tend to manufacturer rivalries, but he said late last year that it has helped fans see a new dimension of a sport in which it is often difficult to relate to the drivers due to the fact their faces are often concealed.
“You rarely see emotion. You’re sitting in these rocket ships and we’re wearing these helmets so for the most part you only see us wearing a helmet,” he told Ariel Helwani.
“So you don’t really see much emotion. So getting back behind the scenes already is going to do wonders.
“And I think like anything when you follow someone’s personal life or family life or what they do away from the race track, it’s easier for people to get invested so it had a double-impact I think.”
Following a dramatic and controversial season of racing between Max Verstappen and Sir Lewis Hamilton, season four is expected to be the most enthralling yet, and they have promised “unprecedented access” to the drivers’ and teams’ lives behind the scenes.
“Offering unprecedented access, Season 4 will once again take fans behind the scenes, to witness first-hand how the drivers and teams prepare to battle it out for victory in one of the sport’s most dramatic seasons to date.”
Season four has been released on Netflix today, and all four seasons are available to watch.