Jean Todt, president of the FIA, has lambasted the boring circuits on the calendar, declaring processional races ‘unacceptable’.
He highlighted last years season finale in Abu Dhabi in which Sebastian Vettel led from start to finish after many of the drivers, most notably Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, got stuck behind slower cars without being able to pass.
The race ended one of the most exciting seasons in a decade, in a rather somber mood, with it failing to match the excitement of previous races that year.
“Races like Abu Dhabi in 2010, where you cannot overtake, are unacceptable,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.
According to Todt, things must change to curb the fall in spectator numbers. One option he believes would draw more casual viewers, would be to increase the visibility of drivers, an idea he also put forward earlier this year.
“Recent data indicates a fall in the numbers of spectators,” he added. “People have many choices in how to spend their leisure time and everyday we must ask ourselves how we can improve the entertainment factor.
“On television I can hardly tell who is at the wheel of each car. Only the experts know the helmets and many drivers change their design race to race.
“NASCAR does a good job. A driver, getting a starting number that he keeps for all his career, is immediately identifiable by the fans.”
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