Sainz criticizes F1 coverage: “Too many celebrities” and lack of on-track action

The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz has expressed his dissatisfaction with the television coverage of Formula 1 races, criticizing the excessive focus on the reactions of the drivers’ partners and celebrities, instead of focusing on the action on the track. Sainz, after a remarkable comeback in the Singapore Grand Prix, where he climbed from the last position to tenth place, regretted that this achievement was not captured by the live broadcast, which, according to his words, lacked emotion. The driver also pointed out that the coverage barely showed Fernando Alonso’s attempt to catch Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari in the final laps, diverting attention to the fight between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for second place. Although television broadcasters control the appearance of their coverage, the material of the race itself is directed by a single world signal from Formula 1. Sainz believes this trend is outdated and that the priority should be competition.

“It’s becoming a trend, which must have worked for them at some point when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, see celebrities on TV, the reactions,” Sainz commented to El Partidazo de COPE. Sainz explained that although it is understandable to show reactions at key moments, such as an overtake, the priority should always be the competition. “Last weekend they didn’t show any of the four or five overtakes I made at the end. They also didn’t show Fernando’s pursuit of Lewis… a lot of things were missed,” added Sainz. The driver suggests that Formula 1 needs to reconsider the balance between sport and spectacle. “The rest is fine, but don’t lose sight of the main thing. For me, they go a little overboard showing the celebrities and the girlfriends,” he added. Sainz also mentioned the difficulty of moving around the paddock due to the large number of VIP personalities. Formula 1 continues with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on October 19.