F1 responds to Singapore GP backlash after Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz protests | F1 | Sport
Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso both complained about the standard of the TV race direction at the Singapore Grand Prix, after several key moments were missed by the broadcast. F1 has since responded to their comments, citing the ‘highly complex situation’ that presents itself during Sunday races.
Alonso was at the centre of the drama at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday, no more so than during the final lap when he cut into Lewis Hamilton‘s advantage in the battle for seventh place on the approach to the chequered flag. However, the tense fight was missed by viewers on TV, who instead watched shots of the garages and grandstands, leaving the timing tower as the only way to follow the fight. Even Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft alluded to his during his commentary.
Sainz, who spoke about the TV direction with Cadena COPE’s ‘El Partidazo’, also raised concerns about the regular cuts to the romantic partners of drivers in the garages throughout the race – something that was criticised by some fans on social media, too.
“It’s becoming a bit of a trend,” the Williams driver 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.
“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.”
Sainz continued: “But as long as you respect the competition and always focus on the important moments of the race, 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. 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.”
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Two-time world champion Alonso took to the X social media platform to voice his frustrations. He replied to a post from the official F1 account, containing a snippet of his radio from the Grand Prix. He wrote: “With pole position secured for the private radio broadcast, time to fine-tune the main coverage and bring all the on-track excitement to the fans!”
F1 has now responded to the concerns, explaining the difficulties involved in producing the broadcast. “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.”
