Max Verstappen ends feud with 'Drive to Survive,' hints at a return to the Netflix series in 2023
- Max Verstappen will have a bigger presence in the next season of the Netflix hit "Drive to Survive."
- The defending F1 champion did not have a significant role in Season 4.
Max Verstappen is a heavy favorite to defend his Formula One championship, and this time we will get his side of the story.
Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Perez were guests on the "Pardon My Take" podcast. Perez joked that Verstappen was "a big fan" of the show, a sarcastic reference to the grievances he had previously aired about the hit series.
Verstappen was then asked what he did not like about the show. In response, he revealed that he and the producers of the docuseries had ended their feud and he would return to the show.
"I'm not going to be too negative about it now," Verstappen said. "I've talked to the people who are in charge and running the show. So, I think we actually came to a good understanding for the future ... I think for the future, we came to a good understanding of how we can work together. So yeah, I'm sure in the next one, you will see a little bit more of me."
Verstappen has been critical of the show and, last season, explained to Jenna Fryer of the AP why he was not participating in filming. He noted that some of his quotes during the first few seasons were used out of context.
"I understand that it needs to be done to boost the popularity in America," Verstappen said. "But from my side as a driver, I don't like being part of it."
Verstappen also accused the show of manufacturing rivalries and portraying some drivers as villains to enhance the drama.
"They faked a few rivalries, which they don't really exist," he said. "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."
The 24-year-old Belgian-Dutch driver reiterated those past concerns on "Pardon My Take."
"I think sometimes they portray a few drivers differently to how they actually are," Verstappen said. "And then, of course, the people who are new to F1 think, 'Oh, this guy is a bit of a dick,' or whatever, right, which in real life he's not."
Season 5 of "Drive to Survive" is expected to be released in February or March 2023.