Carlos Sainz Blasts F1 for Skipping Overtakes to Show Girlfriends in Garage

Formula 1 fans are spoiled in that there aren't any commercials during races, but that doesn't mean you get to see all the on-track action. 

Sometimes, you miss an overtake because they cut to a driver's girlfriend standing in the back of the garage.

Sometimes, as was the case at this weekend's race in Singapore, it comes at the expense of seeing on-track action.

Even Williams' Carlos Sainz is calling this out, especially after the broadcast missed a few of his overtakes late in the race.

"It's becoming a bit of a trend, which must have worked for them once upon a time when people found it interesting to see our girlfriends, to see famous people on TV, the reactions," Sainz told Spanish outlet El Partidazo de COPE (per ESPN). "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 it has worked in the past... but [they only should] if the competition is respected and you are always showing the important moments of the race.

"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."

Williams' Carlos Sainz was just as frustrated as a lot of fans that Singapore Grand Broadcast showed drivers' girlfriends more than it showed overtakes. (Photo by Wan Mikhail Roslan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Formula 1 produces its own broadcasts, and the feed is given to broadcasters. In the US, that's the UK's Sky Sports, whose feed is simulcast on ESPN or ABC.

So, this is an F1 issue, not a Sky Sports or ESPN issue.

Now, I'm sure it is hard to direct a broadcast of a race. I mean, there are 20 cars all moving very fast around a large circuit.

That said, it isn't hard to tell where on track an overtake might happen. There are usually only a handful of prime overtaking spots around the track. On top of that, a glance at the timing page will let you know who is in a position to try an overtake. Just count out anyone who is more than a second behind the car in front of them, and that'll narrow things down.

So, if one of those drivers is heading toward a prime overtaking spot with half a second of the car in front, maybe don't cut to someone's lady friend watching the race in the back of the garage?

We'll see if they learn from Singapore, because the next race is a big one here in the States, and that's the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas.