Former Formula 1 driver and 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve believes the series is too tame and should be pushing the boundaries.
Speaking at the Autosport International Show, Villeneuve suggested that Formula 1 has moved away from its core ideas.
Villeneuve was critical of modern Formula 1 drivers having to preserve their machinery during races, rather than making the most of the available performance.
“In my mind, Formula 1 has always been about extremes, pushing the boundaries and the human boundaries,” he explained.
“It’s supposed to be too fast, it’s supposed to be too expensive, it’s supposed to be crazy. That is not what we have.
“You see drivers get out of the car and they didn’t even break a sweat because they had to massage their car the whole race and drive within eight seconds of what they have done in qualifying. It is wrong.”
Villeneuve said Formula 1 went wrong when it listened to supporters of the series: “It is also, sadly, when it started listening to the fans, because the fans complained there was not enough overtaking.
“By listening to that, what did F1 do? Put in DRS. Because that way we’ll have a hundred overtakes in a race. But name me one overtake you remember since DRS. You don’t, because you don’t see the driver work.
“Look at a motorbike race, sometimes it takes a rider 10 laps to overtake another rider. But in these 10 laps you see the work that goes with it. When the overtake happens, wow. All these 10 laps you’re on the edge of your seat.
“Now you aren’t, next straight line, press a button, overtake. That’s it. All these kind of rule changes to try and create a better show create a worse show.”
