16/02/2016
NEWS STORY
Whilst there are few earth-shaking rule changes this year, other than those relating to tyres, many still feel that in recent years the sport's powers that be have made F1 increasingly difficult to follow.
Indeed, the engine penalty points which regularly saw the McLaren duo clock up a thirty place penalty - on a twenty-car grid - made the sport something of a laughing stock.
In a timely move, Sebastian Vettel has taken to his own website to share his thoughts, the four-time world champion also warning that another season of Mercedes domination will further harm the sport.
"I think the sport should be in the spotlight and it should be about which driver is the fastest," he said. "Today the car plays an important role, as it did in the past. But we shouldn't get lost in over complicated rules.
"Our audience has to be able to identify with the cars again," he added. "At the moment F1 is just too complex and we're lacking sound."
Sharing thoughts that will no doubt please F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone, Vettel continued...
"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, I hope the cars of the future will be more within their grasp."
Although much is expected of the new Ferrari, which is launched on Friday, the German is giving little away, no doubt aware that Mercedes will have made its own improvements.
"It's no secret that we are not still there where we want to be, and there are things we need to improve," he admitted. "We know that our package was not strong enough to close in on Mercedes or overtake them, but we are working on it and we are on the right track."
Finally, he assured fans that he is at Ferrari for the long-term and is not eyeing a move any time soon.
"I'm very comfortable where I am now and I don't think about other options," he said. "I'm that kind of person who doesn't jump ship after just one year. I've never done such a thing before, in any area of life. I'm happy where I am, we have a common goal which we want to achieve together. Ferrari is special to me. Even as a small kid I dreamed about being a race driver for Ferrari."