F1 needs to return to its roots says Vettel

Four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel believes that F1 should return to its roots in order to re-engage with fans.

The 28-year-old Ferrari driver believes that the spotlight in Formula One has moved away from the drivers and more onto the cars since the introduction of the V6 Turbo-Hybrid era of Formula One.

The new power-units are very advanced and as a marketing tool are the right area of development for the likes of Mercedes, Renault and Honda.

But with the complicated rules introduced in order to cut costs amongst the sport, somewhere along the line the spectacle has been lost.

‘I think the sport should be in the spotlight and it should be about which driver is the fastest,’ Vettel said on his website as quoted by motorsport.com.

‘Today the car plays an important role, like it did in the past. But we shouldn’t get lost in over complicated rules.

‘Our audience has to be able to identify with our cars again. At the moment F1 is just too complex and we’re lacking sound.’

Ironically for a driver who took four consecutive titles during a period of dominance for Red Bull Racing, he has also bemoaned the affect that two year of Mercedes victories has had on television viewing figures and interest within the sport.

‘The dominance of Mercedes in the past two years took away a lot of excitement for the fans, Plus the new rules focus too much on details.

‘I think we have to be careful not to lose the roots of motor racing and I certainly hope the cars of the future will be more within their grasp.’