Will Buxton names one driver he annoyed with ‘harsh’ Drive to Survive comments

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Will Buxton says he faced criticism from one driver for comments he made in Netflix’s Drive to Survive series.

Drive to Survive has now run for six seasons, chronicling each year of the world championship since 2018.

Speaking on the Red Flags Podcast, F1TV presenter Buxton revealed that one driver took exception to remarks he made on the show.

Alongside footage from the main broadcast feeds, the series features interviews with drivers, team personnel and journalists.

The paddock have also granted behind-the-scenes access to the Netflix cameras.

It hasn’t been an entirely popular addition, with reigning world champion Max Verstappen a leading critic.

Verstappen said recently that he ‘hates’ the format of the show and ‘doesn’t like’ featuring in it.

He refused to carry out any interviews for the third season because he felt some of the storylines were misleading.

He subsequently agreed to return for season five after holding talks with the producers.

Sergio Perez hit back at Will Buxton over Drive to Survive

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was unhappy after hearing what Buxton had said about his performance at the 2018 Singapore Grand Prix.

Perez, then a Force India driver, finished down in 16th at Marina Bay after colliding with teammate Esteban Ocon and Williams driver Sergey Sirotkin.

Buxton said (via Netflix) that the Mexican ‘looked like a rookie’ who had ‘lost his marbles’ during the race.

Perez felt those remarks were ‘really harsh’, but Buxton stood by them when the pair met for breakfast.

The presenter says that those who carry out interviews for the show need to be ‘answerable’ for what they say.

He said: “I remember after the first Drive to Survive came out, I ended up having breakfast with Checo, and he said ‘you were really harsh about my driving in Singapore’.

“And I said ‘yeah that’s because you drove like s—, it was terrible’.

“Drive to Survive has been a big thing because everybody watches it.

“Before, if you’d written an opinion piece, or you’d done an editorial or you’d said something on air, maybe they didn’t see it, maybe they didn’t hear it because it was going out in the [United] States.

“Now, if it’s on Drive to Survive, you’ve got to be answerable.”

What is Sergio Perez’s Red Bull salary?

According to Spotrac, Perez earns $14m per year under his current Red Bull deal, which equates to about £11m.

The 34-year-old’s contract is up at the end of the season, so he’s fighting for his future in the races ahead.

Red Bull decided to stick by Perez for 2024 even though his 2024 season unravelled.

He won two of the first four Grands Prix, suggesting he could challenge Verstappen, but failed to take victory in any of the remaining 18 races.

By the end of the season, the margin between the two in the championship was a record 290 points.

• READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Perez has had a mixed start to 2024, compensating for some underwhelming qualifying performances with solid race-day drives.

He missed out on the front row in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia but was able to climb to second place in the Grand Prix.

Last time out in Australia, he had to settle for fifth after Verstappen retired, but his aerodynamic performance was compromised by a visor tear-off that became lodged in his floor.

While ‘various sources’ have told Peter Windsor that Perez has already agreed an extension for 2025, Red Bull have apparently made an offer to former driver Alex Albon for the following year.