Max Verstappen has again taken issue with Drive to Survive after the Netflix docu-series depicted him as being upset over Lando Norris’ inaugural victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
Last season Verstappen beat Norris to the World title in an intriguing battle as the Briton not only became a Grand Prix winner but a title contender.
Was Max Verstappen upset after the Miami GP?
Although Verstappen won four of the opening five Grands Prix, the potential for five from five undone by a DNF at the Australian Grand Prix, he was beaten on the track in Miami by Norris, who clinched the win by 7.6s ahead of the Red Bull driver.
S07 of Drive to Survive portrayed a glum Verstappen.
As Jenson Button stated that “Max is a winner, he comes to win, everything else is a failure” and that he personally he would have a “meltdown” and “would be in a bad place right now”, the footage showed Norris on the phone with his family and celebrating with McLaren while Verstappen had his head down before leaning back against a wall with a glum expression on his face.
Drive to Survive S07: Max Verstappen’s fourth World title
The Dutchman has taken umbrage at that depiction.
“Apparently I was very sad after Miami,” he said in a Twitch stream over the weekend. “I literally had the best time ever Sunday night, so I don’t know what I was upset about.
“Probably better not say anything.”
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Verstappen though wasn’t alone in calling out the Netflix show with fans also unimpressed with how he was portrayed when he good mate won his first Grand Prix.
Another fan wrote on X: “They do know we all watched it live. Max was very happy for Lando.”
“Meanwhile this was Max after the race celebrating Lando’s win and even went clubbing with him after,” said another.
It was also pointed out that the cap Verstappen is wearing in the Netflix clip is actually the cap from Zandvoort.
“This is one of the reasons why I can’t watch this,” said another F1 fan.
It’s not the first time Verstappen has called out Drive to Survive for blurring the truth, the Dutchman refusing to give interviews.
“Of course, I understand when you create a show, there needs to be drama, it needs to be exciting,” he said in 2023.
“But I’m a guy who finds it also very important that you’re portrayed well, and that they do not start to copy comments on the different kinds of footage while it didn’t happen like that.
“I had to explain it to them that that was my view. Otherwise, I didn’t want to be part of it. But yes, they understood.
“Let’s see, once it comes out, what they made of it. But I’m positive of course, because I know it’s also very important for Formula 1.”
But while he was more lenient in recent series, the 27-year-old recently told The Project that he would continue to limit his exposure.
“You don’t really see a lot of me in Drive to Survive because I don’t like doing it. So yeah, you probably don’t get the right side of me because it’s just an interview. I’m just sitting down in a dark room, and I hate that!”
He also told BBC Sport that he has no interest in watching the show. “I watched two episodes, but I was not very impressed. It’s just not my thing, faking rivalries,” he said.
