Sebastian Vettel says his future involvement in Formula 1 past 2020 will be dependant on the new regulations coming into force for 2021.
F1 is planning a major technical overhaul to aid closer and more unpredictable racing, a future it hopes will address many of the current concerns surrounding what is currently a two-tier championship where the teams that can spend more are dominant and those behind rarely, if ever, have a chance of winning a race of even securing a podium.
Vettel has been a strong critic of the current direction and is hopeful that 2021 will bring the required changes, insisting it will influence his decision to continue racing in the sport after 2020, when his current contract is due to expire.
"I need to still look at it [F1] in a way that I say the cars are exciting, the format is exciting, the formula is exciting," said the four-time champion. "Time is ticking, obviously.
"I think it’s good that we’ve been asked. I think we gave our opinion and we will give our opinion again and hopefully we find the sport taking the right turns to grow, to allow us to race, to allow us to challenge ourselves and explore our skills."
Vettel highlighted the current weight of the cars, which has gradually increased, and the need to save tyres and fuel which means a driver cannot push for the entire grand prix.
"At high speed, [the current cars] are top of the class. Low speed, I wouldn’t say bottom of the class, but they’re just too heavy, that’s something I don’t like.
"I think a Formula 1 car that I got to know at first was very exciting throughout the speed ranges. And the race turned out to be a sprint race which was great because you could push yourself and the car and the tyres every lap.
"That has changed a bit. We are managing – some races more, some races less – and I think generally, or very simply, you enjoy the races that you don't have to manage, you can go flat out.
"Some management I think will always be there, and rightly so because you need to also use your head not just your feet and hands, but still I think the one rewarded most should be the fastest guy."
Discussion about this post