Will Buxton recalled having a “furious” Sergio Perez on his case over a “pay driver” comment in the first series of Drive to Survive.

But, explaining that he talked the situation through with Perez over coffee, Buxton revealed that some out-of-context editing had led to the confusion, and he had not actually used the term ‘pay driver’ in reference to Perez.

Will Buxton never called Sergio Perez a ‘pay driver’

The first series of Netflix’s hit F1 fly-on-the-wall docuseries Drive to Survive landed in 2019, covering the 2018 Formula 1 season, which Perez spent with Force India/Racing Point Force India.

Drive to Survive has played a key role in Formula 1’s surge in popularity, and former F1 presenter turned IndyCar commentator Will Buxton has appeared as an analyst throughout the Drive to Survive seasons – the seventh released in 2025 – and speaking via Road to Success Stories, Buxton was asked if he has ever made a comment on the show which irked a driver.

“Oh yeah, yeah,” he responded.

Buxton would pick out an example involving Perez, though said his comment had been taken out of context, and made to look like he called Perez a ‘pay driver’.

That Formula 1 term refers to a driver who brings financial backing to a team and receives a seat that way, rather than being paid by the team to race for it.

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“Season 1 comes out, and I went and had a coffee with Sergio Perez in the Australia paddock, so first race of the year,” Buxton continued.

“And he was furious, furious. ‘Why did you say I was a pay driver?’ I said, ‘I never said you were a pay driver.’ He said, ‘You did! In Drive to Survive, you said I was a pay driver.’ And I said, ‘No, I didn’t. I never said that!

“‘What they did, was they asked me what a pay driver was, and I gave them an explanation of the definition of a pay driver. They then painted that with footage of you. But I never said you were a pay driver.’”

“And he was like, ‘Oh, okay’. He said, ‘Yeah, but you said I drove like sh*t in Singapore.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, but you did drive like sh*t in Singapore!’ And he just went, ‘… Okay.’

“So long as you can give reason for why you’ve said what you said, then they are okay with it.”

Perez joined Red Bull in 2021 after departing Racing Point – which became Aston Martin – but parted ways with Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season.

The Mexican could though be on course for a return to the series, having been linked with the new Cadillac team joining in F1 2026.

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