Sergio Perez has joined other teams and drivers in voicing disappointment at the lack of TV coverage on Formula 1’s midfield battle.
Due to the current two-tier grid, with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull dominating with the rest following behind, much of the race is devoted to those three teams even if the racing is pretty stagnant.
This lead to McLaren actually meeting with Liberty Media last year to discuss how F1 was broadcast, with the feeling of them and also now Perez, that fans were missing out on where most of the action takes place.
“The main problem, in my opinion, is a difference across teams,” the Racing Point driver was quoted by F1i.com.
“When you see the racing in the midfield with the same tyres, with the same aero, with the same bullshit that we keep talking about every weekend, they get racing in the middle.
“It’s amazing, yes, but the problem is that they don’t show it on TV. I think that directors are not doing a great job, but the race in the midfield, it is unbelievable.
“It’s a fantastic sport, but the viewers will be so happy to see a race like this – turn on the TV and you don’t know who’s going to win the race.”
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The battle for ‘best of the rest’ most weekends can often be contended by upto four or five teams and the pecking order in the tight midfield often shifts from circuit to circuit, something that can’t often be said about the top three teams.
Of course, while the positions they are fighting for aren’t as significant, there is still a lot on the line as was the case with Carlos Sainz securing sixth in the Drivers’ Championship by passing Nico Hulkenberg on the final lap in Abu Dhabi.
Was that shown live by the race director, however? No.
Hopefully, if the grid can be closer and the midfield teams able to mix it up more frequently towards the front in the next year or two, that attitude will change.