Summary

• Max Verstappen criticizes Drive To Survive for portraying exaggerated and sensationalized content without depth.
• Christian Horner likens the show to "Kardashian on wheels" and criticizes how it distorts reality and misrepresents teams.
• Formula 1 drivers, like Carlos Sainz, feel disappointed with how Drive To Survive misrepresents teams and the sport's true essence.

Formula 1 drivers have been vocal about their desire to drive the car purely and avoid the drama, with their major star, Max Verstappen, openly critiquing Netflix's Drive To Survive season 6 delivered massive drama, it still had one glaring omission that fans quickly noticed. None of the episodes dove deep into Max, Redbull, or his teammate Sergio Perez, AKA Checo. Obviously, it was the most talked about storyline by the media since Redbull and Max broke records, but they still deserved a whole episode.

Drivers, fans, and team principles alike have insinuated that Drive To Survive exaggerated the show with some radio messages reused from previous seasons. Besides Redbull's failure to appear in the latest season of Drive To Survive, Max and his boss, Christian Horner, have expressed how the show hardly talked about how difficult racing can be. From Guenther Steiner's comments to Max stating how the show presents a distorted aspect of reality, there is a lot that each Formula 1 driver and Team Principal has said about Formula 1: Drive To Survive.

Max Verstappen Doesn't Like The Show

He's Not A Fan Of Drama

Max has been critical of Drive To Survive since season 1. The Redbull driver has constantly indicated that the producers must present authentic content without being overly dramatic. Max has become so infuriated in the past that he refused to participate in the show. While speaking to Bloomberg TV in 2023, Max expressed his concerns about the show and his disinterest in participating in it.

“Certain things are a bit more private, and privacy for me is very important. I like things to be portrayed how they actually are and not with a lot of spice to it."

Max's stand remains that Drive To Survive not only misinterprets the outcome of races but also destroys paddock relationships. There has been no better critic than Max, who cited sadness with how Drive To Survive depicts the race drivers and calls the show "sensationalist." While speaking specifically on why he didn't participate in Drive To Survive season 4, the 26-year-old singled out his portrayal of two McLaren drivers, Lando Norris and Daniel Riccardo, while speaking to BBC Sport.

Christian Horner Threw Shade

“Kardashian On Wheels”

Like the drivers, Christian Horner hasn't been reserved about his dislike of the show, calling it "Kardashian on wheels." The Redbull Racing Team Principal and CEO remarks in an exclusive interview with The Standard ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in April 2023. Redbull was one of the teams that breached the 2021 cost cap, with Christian expressing his disappointment with the punishment but adding that he had made peace with it.

"The problem is they follow us for the entirety of the year. You forget, relax, and then say something you shouldn't. Then you see it back and think, 'did I really say that?' But it's a TV show. It's like the Kardashian on Wheels, and you go from being a hero to villain very quickly."

His comment aligns with Formula 1's seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who likened the off-track drama to Keeping Up With The Kardashians. The racing star noted that watching the 2022 drama unfold was interesting. In the 2022 season, the Redbull racing team was in the limelight when their star driver, Max, refused to give his teammate Sergio a sixth position back in the Brazillian Grand Prix.

As a result, he failed to secure a second position in the drivers' championship. Lewis and Mercedes were all spectators in the on and off-the-track drama. The soon-to-be Ferrari driver was speaking to Channel 4 ahead of the 2022 season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when asked his thoughts on Drive To Survive (via Planet F1). "I mean it feels like a bit of a Kardashian show happening here. It's pretty hilarious, some of the stuff that I've heard over the past few days have been so entertaining. I'm sure it'll all be on Netflix, it's going to be great," he said.

Jacques Villeneuve Dissed Daniel Ricciardo

World Champion Outlandish Attack on Ricciardo

Jacques Villeneuve humbled Daniel Ricciardo by noting that the Alpha Tauri driver should be thankful to Drive To Survive for saving his Formula 1 driver's seat. The former Canadian racer told Daniel to thank the show for his long career, noting that there are better drivers than Daniel out there. Jacques claimed that the sport has become quite popular due to Australia's popularity and his portrayal in Drive To Survive (via Fox Sports).​​​​​​​

Carlos Sainz Felt Ferrari Was Misrepresented

Ferrari Is Cool

Carlos Sainz said he was disappointed watching Drive To Survive for the first time. The Ferrari diver noted that the team is way cooler than how they were depicted on the show, given its rich tradition and upward trajectory, while criticizing Drive To Survive season 3. Carlos had an interview with GQ, where he indicated that it was difficult for the new U.S. Formula 1 fan to understand how incredible the Ferrari Formula 1 team is from the show.

"The season three episode 'of Drive To Survive' about Ferrari is not so great, and I was relatively disappointed when I watched it because Ferrari is a lot cooler, a lot bigger, a lot better than how it appeared 'in that episode.'"

Guenther Steiner's Comment Was Brutal

New Found Fame

Guenther Steiner has been a fan-favorite since Drive To Survive's inception. The former Haas Formula 1 boss didn't mince his words while the cameras rolled, and the audience loved it. Guenther took a dig at the show, stating he didn't care about it after openly criticizing his then-driver Mick Schumacher for being "slow" in a Drive To Survive episode. Guenther seemed to be enjoying his newfound fame and talked about it on the Australian daytime show ahead of the 2024 Australian Grand Prix.

Drive To Survive season 6 is available for streaming on Netflix.

Sources: Bloomberg TV, BBC Sport, The Standard, Planet F1, Fox Sports, GQ