One of the most controversial shows ever made by Netflix surpasses the scandals rooted in reality television. The Formula One series, Drive to Survive, backed by Liberty Media – the corporation that owns F1 – had produced the series to bring in new fans. And it worked like a charm.
In 2019, the crowd of US fans increased exponentially at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. However, most of them had been influenced by the action and the drama that came with the Netflix series. Upon further research into the drivers and their F1 career, many were disappointed in the reality of the sport and the relationship between its drivers.
Netflix series vilifies Carlos Sainz against Lando Norris
Carlos Sainz Jr.’s Formula One career started at a very young age, with his father, Carlos Sainz Sr. already being one of the most famed racers around. His rapid climb to the top, including a 4-year stint in Ferrari was a memorable arc, that had foregone the politics and behind-the-scenes drama of the FIA.
Before donning the reds, however, Sainz was in McLaren with teammate Lando Norris – an era that is defined by countless Carlando memes and happy memories that fans go back to time and again. The partnership between Sainz and Norris remains one of the purest to date, and the pair have continued to be best friends off the tracks even beyond their years as teammates.
However, Drive to Survive hardly gains any points for showing Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris being each other’s support system and showing up at each other’s celebratory family gatherings. The Netflix series portrayed the pair in such a light that vilified Carlos Sainz and made his papaya era seem like one of the most bitter and dirty rivalries to exist in F1 at the time.
And although Sainz was not all that bothered by it, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen did not waste any time calling out the series and refusing to collaborate anymore when Netflix deliberately edited the race and media footage to vilify the Dutchman.
Carlos Sainz suffers as Drive to Survive plays it dirty
One of the best aspects of the Sainz-Norris McLaren era was their constant pranks to get back at each other. The countless videos and memes that exist of the two mischief makers have become a treasure trove of happy memories for F1 fans who still miss the Carlando years.
However, for Netflix, these pranks presented an opportunity to show Sainz as a petty teammate out for blood who resorted to all sorts of below-the-belt dirty tricks to undercut his teammate. Fans who were new to the sport and were not aware of their off-track relationship became invested in the drama like another episode of The Kardashians.
As recapped by a Formula fan on Reddit:
The Carlos/Lando thing was stupid. Netflix were apparently given access to the filming of the ‘No Strings Attached’ puppet show bit (look it up on YouTube, it’s worth it) and declined because they had obviously decided they weren’t going to show them as being friendly with each other. The chair incident was a jokey thing that happened but Netflix made it look malicious.
Despite the abundant YouTube videos, media interviews, live streams, and Instagram reels that show Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris on friendly terms, their image was damaged by Drive to Survive‘s blatant attempt at fabricating a rivalry where none existed whatsoever, including the chair incident in question.
Drive to Survive latest season which focuses on the 2024 Formula One season premieres on Netflix on March 7, 2025.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
