Carlos Sainz has taken aim at Formula 1’s live race coverage, arguing that the sport’s world feed is prioritizing celebrity reaction shots and drivers’ girlfriends over the action on track.
After his gritty charge through the field at the Singapore Grand Prix went unnoticed on live TV last weekend, the Williams driver didn’t hold back, calling for F1 to refocus on the racing that makes the sport what it is.
This year’s race at Marina Bay was a less dramatic affair than past editions, but Sainz’s late-race heroics from the back of the grid to a hard-fought 10th place should’ve been a highlight.
Instead, Formula 1’s broadcaster skipped his string of overtakes entirely. It also glossed over Fernando Alonso’s tense chase of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps, opting instead to linger on Max Verstappen fending off Lando Norris for second.
“It's becoming a bit of a trend, which must have worked for them once upon a time when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, to see famous people on TV, the reactions,” Sainz told Spain’s El Partidazo de COPE.
“I understand that if there is an overtake, a very tense moment in the race, it is understandable that the production team might want to show a reaction shot if they have seen that it has worked in the past, but [they only should] if the competition is respected and you are always showing the important moments of the race.
“Last weekend they didn’t show any of the four or five overtakes I did at the end. Nor did they show Fernando’s pursuit of Lewis... they missed a lot of things.”
“Don’t Lose Sight of the Main Thing”
Sainz went on to urge Formula 1’s broadcast producers to reassess their balance between sport and spectacle – warning that the coverage is becoming too focused on the glitz and glamour.
While broadcasters control session coverage, the race’s world feed is in F1’s hands, and cutaways to celebrity reactions or drivers’ families have become a staple.
For the Williams charger, this old-school approach feels out of touch with what fans tune in for: the racing itself.
“The other [thing] is fine but don’t lose sight of the main thing. For me, they go overboard a little showing the celebrities and girlfriends,” he said.
The 30-year-old also took aim at how overcrowded the paddock has become on race weekends, with the number of VIP guests often making it difficult for teams and drivers to move around freely.
“Sometimes there are so many VIPs in the paddock you can’t even walk. We move by bike or scooter [in the paddock] because if you don’t, you just can’t get around.”
With F1’s global spotlight brighter than ever, Sainz’s comments are a wake-up call for the sport to rethink its priorities.
Will the world feed dial back the star-studded shots and zoom in on the wheel-to-wheel battles? Fans –and drivers like Sainz – are hoping for a course correction that puts racing back in the driver’s seat.
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