Mercedes chairman and triple world champion Niki Lauda has backed Kimi Raikkonen’s calls for “more danger” in Formula 1, with both calling for quicker cars to increase the spectacle.
Lauda, who himself knows first-hand the dangers of F1 after he was involved in a life-threatening accident during the 1976 German Grand Prix, knows the sport cannot put safety aside, but says it must find a balance between safety and speed.
“There’s too much control, too many rules and no more characters,” the Austrian told Bild am Sonntag.
“I’m not saying that we should neglect safety, but if the cars were faster, the thrill for the drivers and the spectators would automatically increase.
“It must again be about real men driving, not young men who play only with the buttons on the steering wheel,” he added.
“It should be about drivers with the highest driving skills and I emphasize driving skills, may be in F1.”
Lauda also warned that increasing the spectacle mustn’t be done through the introduction of artificial means, like DRS for overtaking.
“Any kind of manipulation is the worst thing you can do to a sport. I mean artificial elements such as reverse grid or adding weight to cars, as Bernie Ecclestone has proposed. This must not happen.”