Carlos Sainz backtracks on Singapore GP ‘girlfriend obsession’ comment

Carlos Sainz stands by criticism of Formula 1’s broadcast of the Singapore Grand Prix, though he suggests some comments were “blown out of proportion”.

Sainz offered a stinging appraisal of the television coverage in Singapore last time out, suggesting there is too much focus on drivers’ partners at the expense of the on-track action.

Carlos Sainz has moved to clarify his critique of the Singapore GP broadcast

Coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix was punctuated by a number of cuts away from the on-track action to reaction shots from within garages.

Our own analysis revealed at last 16 instances during the 62-lap Marina Bay encounter where the broadcast showed either the pit wall or reaction from mechanics or the drivers’ family and partners.

That prompted Sainz to question how the race was portrayed, criticism he stands by if attempted to walk back his remarks about drivers’ girlfriends.

“I think my comments were a bit blown out of proportion,” he told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media.

“The fact that I mentioned the girlfriends, or the WAGs, however you call them, it brought a bit of spiciness to the comment, and went a bit more viral worldwide.

“Maybe what it should have been just a simple critique about I think it’s clear that in Singapore, the broadcast didn’t do a good job.”

However, the 31-year-old added that he didn’t feel it was a trend, but an off-weekend for the broadcast director.

“There’s other races where they do an incredible job and they show us things, incredible things, and incredible track action,” Sainz reasoned.

“For me, Singapore was not good. But the same thing, I have good weekends in my life where I perform at a very high level, and other weekends I don’t do a good job. And you guys analyse it, you give me a rating: I did four out of 10, and then you tell me I did a 10 out of 10.

“Obviously everyone’s on their own right to say, for me, Singapore was just not good enough, and they missed way too much track action.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s a critic to them, or the way they do their job it’s just Singapore, as one race, it’s a shame that, in a track where it’s so difficult to overtake, we missed so many on-track battles.”

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Sainz went on to clarify his gripe in that, upon reflection, it centred on those at the front of the race too much.

“At the time, I mentioned girlfriends; looking back at it, they were not shown too much, and it was more that they were very focused on Lando, on Max, like there was going to be an accident, or there was going to be an overtake. When you look at it, there was never going be action.

“But I hope they didn’t take it personal, or I hope they didn’t take it too hard, because it was just a simple critique of Singapore was not good enough.”

Additional reporting by Elizabeth Blackstock

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