Williams driver Carlos Sainz has publicly criticized Formula One’s television broadcasts, arguing they are “going overboard” by focusing too much on celebrities and the reactions of drivers’ girlfriends instead of the on-track action.
Speaking after the Singapore Grand Prix, where his impressive climb from 18th to 10th place was largely ignored, Sainz told Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE that the world feed “missed a lot of things.”
Sainz claims the broadcast failed to show “any of the four or five overtakes” he made, as well as the close battle between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in the final laps.
Instead, viewers were shown shots of his girlfriend, Rebecca Donaldson, and Lando Norris’s partner, Magui Corceiro, reflecting a trend Sainz says undermines the competition.
While acknowledging that the popularity of shows like Drive to Survive has broadened F1’s appeal and increased interest in drivers’ personal lives, Sainz insisted the production team must respect the competition and prioritize showing the important moments of the race.
