Max Verstappen was spotted swatting away a Netflix microphone while in conversation with Lando Norris at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver has been known to criticise the documentary series in the past. Verstappen continues to be the biggest attraction on the Formula 1 grid, and the spotlight on him has intensified due to his struggles this season. It is Norris’ McLaren that boasts the fastest package on the grid, placing him and Oscar Piastri ahead of the Dutchman.
During the race weekend, Verstappen was caught in conversation with Norris when a microphone was thrust over them, only for the Red Bull driver to bat it away.
The four-time world champion faces an uphill battle to clinch a fifth consecutive win. He had a tough weekend in Barcelona, and Netflix has tried to capitalise on the season’s most compelling narratives.
However, Verstappen has expressed his annoyance with how the series can be edited to portray an unjust narrative. After Norris clinched victory at the Miami Grand Prix last year, Netflix aired Verstappen’s reaction following the Dutch Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver previously declined to appear in the third and fourth seasons of the Netflix series, alleging that storylines were fabricated and manipulated in previous seasons, some of which he disagreed with. His stance changed after discussions with Netflix executives.
Back in 2021, the driver remarked: “I understand that it needs to be done to boost the popularity in America. But from my side as a driver, I don’t like being part of it. They faked a few rivalries which don’t really exist. So I decided to not be a part of it and did not give any more interviews after that, because then there is nothing you can show. I am not really a dramatic show kind of person, I just want facts and real things to happen.”
His peer, Norris, shared similar sentiments, stating: “They need to show the truth about people more. I’m not a fan of fake stuff. I want facts, I don’t want made-up scripts and fabricated nonsense, which there is. The portrayal of Max 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. They don’t need to do anything more than that. They need to come back to reality a bit more, it’s drifted too far away.”
It’s notable that Netflix’s docu-series has significantly contributed to the surge in the sport’s popularity. Key metrics have persisted in showing an upturn in engagement with the sport, largely spurred by the success of Drive To Survive, with growing audiences and higher attendances at events.