Carlos Sainz pays tribute to Marc Márquez with F1 legend comparison

Speaking on COPE’s El Partidazo, the Spanish driver praised his compatriot’s remarkable achievement — returning to MotoGP world title glory after several difficult years marked by serious injuries that had once threatened to end his career.

“I already congratulated him, because he’s had a great year and the credit he deserves for the comeback he’s made in his career,” the Williams driver said.

He then went as far as to draw a comparison with a living motorsport legend — Ayrton Senna: “Marquez is the Ayrton Senna of MotoGP. It’s just that the way we’re experiencing it right now, we didn’t realise it.

Speaking on the same podcast, the Spaniard expressed his frustration with the international broadcast’s decision to focus on VIPs in the paddock rather than the key on-track action during the Singapore GP — including his own charge through the field and Fernando Alonso’s chase of a struggling Lewis Hamilton, who was dealing with severe brake issues.

Those were all crucial race moments that went completely unnoticed, as Sainz pointed out: "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."

Addressing Sainz's comments, a Formula 1 spokesperson sought to clarify the situation.