“F1” movie star tears down Max Verstappen’s “Drive to Survive” villain persona

Damson Idris, who stars alongside Brad Pitt in the F1 movie, has spoken out on Max Verstappen’s relationship with the other drivers after he felt the four-time champion “didn’t have any friends” due to the way he had been portrayed in the media. 

Many new Formula 1 fans found the championship through Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which follows a season of racing per series. For years, Verstappen has argued that he has been portrayed as the villain in order to bring more drama to the docuseries. As a result of this, the Red Bull driver refused to participate in interviews in the third and fourth seasons of the show.

“Of course, I understand when you create a show, there needs to be drama, it needs to be exciting,” Verstappen explained when he returned to a more involved role for the fifth season. “But I’m a guy who finds it also very important that you’re portrayed well, and that they do not start to copy comments on the different kinds of footage while it didn’t happen like that.

“I had to explain it to them that that was my view. Otherwise, I didn’t want to be part of it. But yes, they understood.

“Let’s see, once it comes out, what they made of it. But I’m positive of course, because I know it’s also very important for Formula 1.”

Despite Verstappen gaining this persona, partly due to Drive to Survive, his sometimes blunt post-race interviews, and fiery team radio messages, Idris has torn down the villain image of the 27-year-old.

“We went to an actual driver briefing, so we were in the room with every single driver, and it was the first time that I got to see them all together and see all of their little relationships,” Idris explained to MovieZine (below). “You know, throughout the world of Formula 1, they trade seats so much so you’re friends with this guy, but then he becomes someone you have to race against.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“Your biggest competition is the person who’s on the team with you and some of the guys, they’ve been racing and competing since they were kids. So seeing all of those dynamics and just how they really operate just on a chemistry level. 

“I always thought outside looking in that Max Verstappen didn’t have any friends, that’s how he is kind of portrayed in the media, but from being in the world of Formula 1, they all love each other. They all get along, Max is cool with everyone, so that was something that was really surprising to me, and it was brilliant to be able to have that knowledge when making the film.”