Drive to Survive: Lando Norris says he is 'not a fan of the fake stuff' in Netflix documentary

Lando Norris has publicly criticized Netflix's F1 documentary series, "Drive to Survive," claiming that its content contains "false elements." He specifically pointed out inaccuracies in the latest season's portrayal of his rivalry with Max Verstappen, suggesting the narrative was fabricated for dramatic effect.

Norris stated that the show depicted Verstappen as being unhappy about him winning his first victory in Miami, but used footage filmed later in the season. He emphasized, "They need to show more of what people are really like. I don’t like fake things, I want facts, not made-up scripts and nonsense, and that’s what there is."

Norris further pointed out that the show should not exaggerate the antagonism between him and Verstappen to create drama. "They don’t need to create that kind of drama, just show the facts. In a way, it’s almost lying, and I think that’s not correct. They just put everything together and don't care about the timeline." He suggested the show should be more like a season documentary, rather than trying to produce a television drama, believing it has deviated from its original purpose.

Verstappen himself responded to his portrayal in the show, stating, "Apparently I was very sad after Miami. The fact is I had a lot of fun on Sunday night, so I don’t know what I should have been sad about." Verstappen's comments further highlight the discrepancies between reality and the show's narrative.

Box To Box Films, the production company behind "Drive to Survive," insists that the stories they tell are not "fabricated" and that the "narrative threads clearly follow real events." They added, "The series is produced under immense time pressure, and mistakes can sometimes happen. When these mistakes are pointed out to us, such as this year regarding some footage after the Miami Grand Prix with Verstappen, we immediately correct these unintentional errors."

An F1 spokesperson stated, "Drive to Survive has played a very important role in promoting the sport and attracting new audiences. We should focus on the positive impact of the series, rather than criticizing something that has been very beneficial to the sport as a whole." The series' contribution to F1's popularity cannot be denied, despite the criticisms it faces.