F1 ace’s fury that Grand Prix TV coverage is focusing on drivers’ GIRLFRIENDS and missing all the best action on the track

F1 driver Carlos Sainz has expressed frustration after camera crews turned lenses away from on-track action and towards drivers’ glamourous girlfriends. 

His comments come after action at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, with the Williams driver claiming that viewers missed some of the race’s key moments including some of his and his fellow driver’s daring overtakes.

Sainz’s own model girlfriend, Rebecca Donaldson, was spotted posing alongside rival Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc’s girlfriend, Alexandra Saint Mleux, prior to both drivers battling it out on the track. 

During coverage the cameras also picked out Margarida Corceiro, Lando Norris’s girlfriend, while Sainz’s car whizzed past Lance Stroll, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar to finish 10th from a 18th place starting spot.

The 31-year-old Spanish driver fears F1’s fascination with wives and girlfriends could result in fans missing out on the real action on the race track. 

Speaking to Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE, Sainz said: ‘It’s becoming a bit of a trend, which must have worked for them at one time, when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, to see famous people on television, the reactions.

‘I understand that if there is an overtake, a very tense moment in the race, it is understandable that the production team might want to show a reaction shot, if they have seen that this has worked in the past, but only if the competition is respected and you are always showing the important moments of the race.’

Max Verstappen was spotted chatting with Brazilian model girlfriend Kelly Piquet at the US Grand Prix 

British Mercedes driver David Russell appeared alongside his girlfriend, Carmen Montero Mundt, prior to competing in the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday 

Margarida Corceiro, girlfriend of British driver Lando Norris, is another regular on the circuit

Alexandra Saint Mleux and Rebecca Donaldson pose for a photo prior to the F1 Grand Prix in Singapore on Sunday

He also addressed that the F1 coverage failed to show the dramatic contest between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, with the latter making a late burst to try and finish ahead of his rival.

Sainz added: ‘Last weekend, they didn’t show any of the four or five overtakes I did at the end, nor did they show Fernando’s pursuit of Lewis, they missed a lot of things. The other [showing the off-track things] is fine, but don’t lose sight of the main thing. For me, they go overboard a little by showing the celebrities and girlfriends.’ 

Despite initially finishing a fraction ahead of Alonso, Hamilton was penalised with a 5-second deduction demoting him to eighth place, one place below his opponent. 

Alonso, who competes for Aston Martin, has also come out in recent days to criticise F1’s coverage. 

In a post on social media after the Singapore Grand Prix the driver wrote that F1 should ‘fine-tune the main coverage and bring all the on-track excitement to the fans.’