Formula 1 addresses Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz’s complaints about race coverage. F1 broadcast director Dean Locke responded to criticism from Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz.

Formula 1 has officially responded to the recent criticism voiced by Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, who both complained about the poor quality of the international race broadcast. According to them, the TV direction often fails to properly capture on-track action. Dean Locke, F1’s broadcast and media director, defended the work of his production team, explaining that their main objective is to tell the story of each race fairly and accurately, without spreading misleading messages or creating false impressions.

Alonso and Sainz criticize the broadcast: too little racing, too many celebrities

Among the drivers who have been most vocal about the issue are Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz. The Aston Martin driver complained that certain team radio messages never make it to air, suggesting selective editing. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz expressed disappointment that several of his overtakes during races went completely unseen by viewers, while the broadcast instead focused heavily on celebrities and drivers’ partners in the paddock—at the expense of real on-track action.

F1 responds to criticism: “We want to engage the fans”

Locke replied that Formula 1’s production team is not “the megaphone” of the drivers. He said: “We have the responsibility to tell the story in a fair and accurate way, so we never broadcast anything misleading or taken out of context. We want to engage the fans and show the drivers, but without exaggeration or distortion.”

He also reminded everyone that radio messages are technically “private,” and that it is not always appropriate to air them in full—especially when a driver criticizes the team without knowing all the facts behind a situation. Locke also shared an interesting point about the role of environmental footage. He explained that it is not enough to show just the cars on track; the broadcast must also convey the atmosphere of each Grand Prix—its crowd, stage, and unique locations—since every circuit has its own visual identity that enhances the viewer’s experience.

Finally, speaking about the challenge of showing race action in the best possible way, Locke said: “Very often many things happen at the same time, and our team works extremely hard every weekend to figure out how to tell the story in the most complete way. But at the core of it all, there’s the racing action—and that’s where our focus has to remain.”