Carlos Sainz, a prominent Formula 1 driver, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the way live races are broadcast, criticizing the excessive emphasis on the reactions of the drivers’ partners and celebrities during crucial moments.
Sainz lamented that the live coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix did not show his impressive comeback from the back of the grid to tenth position. The broadcast, in general, was criticized for its lack of excitement.
Furthermore, the coverage barely focused on Fernando Alonso’s attempt to catch Lewis Hamilton, of Ferrari, in the final laps. Much of the footage on track focused on the fight between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris for second place.
Although television broadcasters control the coverage they offer during live sessions and the race, the on-track images are controlled by a single world signal directed by Formula 1 itself.
It’s common for broadcasts to include cuts to the reactions of couples, family members, and celebrities in the garage, something that Sainz considers an outdated approach to showing the sport.
“I understand that if there’s an overtake, a very tense moment in the race, it’s understandable that the production team wants to show a reaction if they’ve seen that it’s worked in the past… but [they should only do it] if the competition is respected and the important moments of the race are always shown. “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.” Sainz suggested that Formula 1 needs to re-evaluate where the line is between sport and spectacle. “The other [is] fine, but don’t lose sight of the main thing. For me, they go a little overboard showing celebrities and brides,” he added. “Sometimes there are so many VIPs in the paddock that you can’t even walk. We move around by bike or scooter [in the paddock] because otherwise, you just can’t move.” F1 continues with the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin on October 19.“It’s becoming a trend, which must have worked for them at some point, when people seemed interested in seeing our girlfriends, seeing celebrities on television, the reactions,” Sainz commented to El Partidazo de COPE, from Spain.
Carlos Sainz
