F1 "trying to sell something we know isn’t right", claims Carlos Sainz

Carlos Sainz believes Formula 1 is “trying its best to sell something we all know is not right”, highlighting apparent graphic tampering on the world feed in China.

Formula 1’s new regulations have been met with a mixed response from drivers and fans, with the likes of Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris proving to be the loudest critics.

The main complaint is directed at the engines, which begin to lose power in certain sections of tracks when the battery power has been fully expended in what is now dubbed ‘superclipping’.

During the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, screenshots allegedly showing F1’s world feed was deliberately tampering with onboard graphics in an apparent attempt to mask the speed drops.

This follows on from negative comments on a post from the official F1 account about overtaking supposedly being deleted by the administrator.

Williams driver Carlos Sainz said this is proof F1 knows this “is not the right formula”.

“I think in a track like China they are not that bad, because we are very energy-rich and harvesting-rich, which means the engines don’t behave… they behave very differently to last year, but not as different as they did in Melbourne,” he said on Sunday in China.

“I think in Melbourne, Monza, Spa, it definitely needs a rethink.

“I think development will also do its part. But I’m also 100% sure this is not F1 the way I want to see it.

“And I’m also quite sure that the people at the top also see that and know that.

“When you look at what they are doing with graphics and everything, they are trying to do their best to sell something that I think we all know is not the right formula for Formula 1.

“So, I’m really hoping that there’s going to be changes soo, because it’s not the best formula.

“But as long as everyone is aware, I think it’s ok for everyone to not get it completely right at the start of a season, and then make adjustments to ensure it gets better.”

Non-starters in China “not a good look for F1”

Sainz, who finished ninth in China, was also critical of the fact both McLarens, Williams team-mate Alex Albon and the Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto were unable to start due to car issues.

He says it’s on the teams to improve their reliability, but believes this is difficult when the power unit regulations are so complicated.

“For sure, it’s not a great look for F1,” he added.

“But I think not having two McLarens, a Williams, and Audi, shows how difficult we make our life to come up with super complicated engines with incredibly complicated software and batteries.

“It’s still down to the teams to come up with a reliable engine, but when the rules are so demanding and so constrained, it is difficult to come up with something reliable because it is extremely complex for everyone.

“I don’t know. I have in mind what the ideal Formula 1 should be, and this is very far from it.

“At the same time, I hope that development and fine-tuning the regulations should make things better in the future.”