“Just the portrayal of Max Verstappen annoys me": Lando Norris pulls no punches as he lashes out at Drive to Survive's fake storylines

McLaren driver Lando Norris defended Max Verstappen, calling out Netflix's 'Drive to Survive' documentary series for portraying the Dutchman in a bad light. Norris opined that DTS is showing fake and fabricated storylines to fans, which annoys him.

Netflix released the first season of the documentary series based on F1, 'Drive to Survive,' in 2019, and the show was an instant hit. It attracted more audience to the sport, and its popularity allowed Netflix to run it for seven seasons.

This year, the show dropped its seventh season, which showed behind the scenes of the 2024 F1 season. In episode two, titled 'Frenemies,' the show captured the championship rivalry between Verstappen and Norris.

However, Lando Norris wasn't impressed with the storyline. In an interview with The Times published on March 15, the McLaren driver accused DTS of fabricating storylines and said that the portrayal of Max Verstappen in the show annoys him.

“Just the portrayal of Max [annoys me], and how we were against each other so much. They don’t need to create … there’s drama, they can just show the facts of the drama. To portray someone in an incorrect way, people are going to have their opinions of that incorrect person. It’s almost lying in some ways. I just don’t think that’s correct. I don’t think you can paint someone in the wrong picture when it’s not the truth," Norris said.

He added that DTS must do better and show accurate footage rather than trying to sell fake narratives to the fans.

Verstappen, meanwhile, also voiced similar concerns related to the show in the past. He refused to be a part of season seven despite being the world champion for the 2024 season. While his journey was captured throughout the series, the Dutchman reportedly didn't sit down for a one-on-one chat with the producers.

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Max Verstappen takes aim at 'Drive to Survive' for his portrayal after Lando Norris' win

Lando Norris [L] with Max Verstappen [R] at 2024 F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Source: Getty

Season seven of the Netflix documentary series 'Drive to Survive' captured Lando Norris' monumental victory in the 2024 Miami Grand Prix. The Brit beat rival Max Verstappen to clinch the first-ever win of his F1 career.

Meanwhile, in the show, Verstappen was captured sitting in silence while Norris celebrated his victory. However, the four-time world champion revealed in his Twitch stream that he wasn't sad to see Norris win.

“Apparently I was very sad after Miami. I literally had the best time ever Sunday night, so I don’t know what I was upset about. Probably better not to say anything," Verstappen said (via Planet F1).

Turns out, the scenes of Verstappen being sad in episode two were from the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix and not Miami, as reported by The Times. DTS has reportedly edited that part and added actual footage from the Miami Grand Prix.