Drive to Survive producer responds to Lando Norris' 'lying' accusation, explaining why the show is 'dangerous and scandalous'

Weeks after McLaren star Lando Norris accused Formula 1: Drive to Survive makers of “lying” about his portrayal on screen in season seven of the Netflix show, executive producer James Gay-Rees has presented his own argument on the matter. He confidently explained that the key factors in the show are the characters who don’t change, and this can become dangerous as well as scandalous.
Formula 1: Drive to Survive season 7 landed on Netflix last month and was quite popular among the fans of the sport. Amid receiving a negative response from some top F1 drivers, James Gay-Rees told The National, “You have to get the essence of what you’re trying to get across. It becomes an interpretation of what happened, but our ambition is always to tell an authentic story. That’s why it’s such a great place to make a show. There are heroes and villains. People are out to win at any price and will do whatever it takes.”
“It’s a very fertile precinct in which to make a series because it’s so contained. The characters don’t change. It’s dangerous, political, scandalous, and gossipy. Those are the key ingredients,” he added.
Gay-Rees also pointed out how Drive to Survive has played a big role in making Formula 1 even more popular across the globe, citing the example of his own daughter, who is now obsessed with motorsport.

Lando Norris had expressed his frustration over the second episode of Drive to Survive season 7 titled "Frenemies," showing how Max Verstappen wasn’t happy with Norris’ victory at the Miami Grand Prix.
An upset Norris had told Motorsportweek.com last month, “It is almost lying in some ways, and I just don’t think that’s correct. They just jumble up the whole thing, and they don’t care when they put it in. Maybe it needs to be more of a documentary of the season, rather than a show like they’re trying to do. It has drifted too far away.”
Also Read: “Just show the facts”: Lando Norris accuses Netflix show Drive to Survive of “lying” about his and Max Verstappen’s rivalry
Norris is currently preparing for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix scheduled this weekend. He won the first race of the season in Melbourne at the Australian Grand Prix and aims to continue his winning streak.