Carlos Sainz has retracted his previous comments criticizing the direction of Formula 1 broadcasts. After the Singapore Grand Prix, the Spanish driver expressed strong criticism about the broadcasts often unnecessarily focusing on the partners of the drivers, while crucial overtaking maneuvers are barely shown. In retrospect, he admits that mentioning the girlfriends made his criticism unnecessarily sharp.
Sainz drove an impressive overtaking race in Singapore; from the nineteenth starting position, he fought his way forward. Unfortunately, his overtaking maneuvers were barely shown. Fernando Alonso‘s pursuit of Lewis Hamilton in the final rounds also barely made the broadcast. Instead, the direction frequently broadcasted the reactions of the drivers’ partners, which led to much dissatisfaction among fans. “They missed too much,” Sainz also responded. “For me, they go a bit too far with showing celebrities and girlfriends.”
‘Just Simple Criticism’
In the lead-up to the United States Grand Prix, Sainz, however, retracted his criticism. “My comments, as always, were somewhat taken out of context,” he told the media in Austin. “The fact that I specifically mentioned the girlfriends gave my words some extra spice, making them go viral worldwide. It should have just been simple criticism.” He explained that his criticism was mainly about the coverage in Singapore. “The broadcast there was clearly not optimal, while they do fantastic work at other races. They show incredible things and great action on the track.”
The Spaniard emphasized that his comments were not intended as a personal attack on the Formula 1 production team. “Everyone has the right to express their own opinion, but for me, Singapore just wasn’t good enough – too much track action was missed. That doesn’t mean I’m criticizing the way they do their job.” Sainz also retracted his comments about broadcasting partners. “I mentioned them at the time, but in retrospect, they weren’t shown that often,” he concluded. “The focus was more on Lando Norris and Max Verstappen and the possibility of a crash or an overtaking maneuver.”
