Sainz Criticizes F1 Coverage: Excess of Celebrities and Lack of On-Track Action

Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way races are broadcast live, pointing out an excessive emphasis on the reactions of the drivers’ partners and celebrities at crucial moments. Sainz criticized that during the Singapore Grand Prix, his impressive comeback from the back of the grid to tenth place, was not covered in the live broadcast. Live coverage also downplayed Fernando Alonso’s attempt to catch Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari in the final laps, prioritizing images of Max Verstappen defending his position against Lando Norris. Although television networks control the appearance of their coverage during the sessions and the race, the on-track images are directed by a single Formula 1 world feed. It’s common for broadcasts to show reactions from couples, family members, and celebrities in the garage, something that Sainz considers an outdated approach to showcasing the sport.

Sainz commented to El Partidazo de COPE: It’s becoming a trend, it must have worked for them at some point when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, see celebrities on television, the reactions. He added that he understands that the production team wants to show a reaction if it has worked in the past, but only if the competition is respected and the important moments of the race are always shown. Sainz lamented that the overtakes he made at the end of the race were not shown, nor was Fernando Alonso’s pursuit of Lewis Hamilton, missing many key moments. Sainz suggested that Formula 1 needs to reconsider where to draw the line between sport and spectacle. The pilot added that, in his opinion, it goes too far in showing celebrities and girlfriends. He concluded by mentioning the difficulty of moving around the paddock due to the large number of VIPs, which forces the drivers to use bicycles or scooters. Formula 1 continues with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on October 19.