Carlos Sainz criticised F1’s TV coverage after the F1 Singapore GP 2025, saying broadcasters showed too many shots of “celebrities and girlfriends” instead of the racing. The Williams driver said the broadcast should focus more on the action and respect the competition.
“It’s becoming a bit of a trend”
The Spaniard voiced frustration after reviewing the world feed from Marina Bay, where fans complained online about missed moments between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, as well as Sainz’s own overtakes.
“It’s becoming a bit of a trend,” he said. “It must have worked for them at one time, that people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, to see famous people on TV, their reactions and so on.”
Sainz said he understands the appeal of the human side of F1, especially when tension runs high, but believes that balance has been lost.
“I understand that if there is an overtaking manoeuvre, a very tense moment in the race, then showing a shot of their reaction is understandable. If the production team sees that it has worked in the past, then they will do it.”
Still, he insisted that F1’s first duty is to the competition itself: “As long as you respect the competition and always focus on the important moments of the race.”
“They didn’t show any of my overtakes”
Sainz’s frustration stems from the lack of attention on his late-race charge. The Williams driver climbed from 18th on the grid to 10th, a strong recovery given the team’s recent pace dip, yet he said much of his action went unseen.
“Last weekend they didn’t show any of the four or five overtakes I made at the end of the race, nor did they show Fernando’s pursuit of Lewis, they missed a lot of things,” Sainz said.
He added that the sport’s growing focus on glamour has become excessive: “So, the other stuff is fine, I get it, but you shouldn’t miss the most important things. For me, they even exaggerate a bit by showing the celebrities and girlfriends.”
The issue came to a head during the closing laps, when Sainz and Alonso were both attacking in the midfield, while TV cameras lingered on VIP guests and partners in the garage, including Sainz’s partner Rebecca Donaldson and several high-profile attendees.
FOM responds
Formula One Management quickly responded to Sainz’s comments, defending its broadcast choices.
“We always focus on giving our fans the best possible footage of the race and never compromise the key focus, the racing on track,” an F1 spokesperson said. “Our team does a great job of covering a highly complex situation with multiple cars at different points on a track and also provide great context moments of the grandstands, high-profile guests and the locations we race at. We are always in pursuit of excellence and improvement in what we deliver.”
A great race
Sainz’s complaint comes after a gritty F1 Singapore GP 2025 where Williams showed improved form. His recovery drive into the points marked another step forward, especially after his podium finish in Monza. Despite his strong showing, the lack of coverage left many unaware of how much progress he made under the lights.
The Spaniard now sits 12th in the Drivers’ Championship, trailing team-mate Alex Albon by 38 points. With upgrades due for the next round, Sainz hopes both his team’s performance, and his hard racing, will be impossible to miss next time.
