Vettel: F1 needs to be extreme again

With technical chiefs due to begin formal talks in Monaco about framing 2017 rule proposals to make F1 cars around five seconds per lap faster, Vettel has urged those in charge to deliver machinery that is more challenging.

"I am very old school," said Vettel. "I would like to have a much bigger engine, I don't know if it turbo or not, better tyres...more grip, so the cars are faster in general.

"The first time I drove an F1 car to be honest I was scared and now I don't think you get that impression any more. The step from GP2 to F1 is not very big.

"It is still difficult to drive fast, but probably back in the years you needed a little bit bigger balls, which is what the drivers would appreciate and also the fans."

F1 too technical

Vettel thinks that F1 has put too much emphasis in recent years on car and engine performance – and not enough on the talent of the men in the cockpit.

"Driving should always be the core, and I think it has been discussed a lot in the past period of F1 with the cars getting slower," he said. "In the end you are looking for the fastest driver.

"And in the end you should not change the core of the sport which is that the fastest driver should win. I think maybe to more and more of an extreme we have gone away from that a bit."

Vettel hopes fans agree

In his role as a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), Vettel has helped launch a Global Fan Survey.

He believes that feedback from fans will show that they too want things to change and give the sport's bosses a clear idea of the changes that need to be made to make F1 more popular..

"I think it has been largely confusing the last one-and-a-half years about what people want or don't want, because many times you only read or hear what individuals are saying.

"Unfortunately in F1, it is mostly what individuals want to see because it might benefit them. The [Fan] Survey is completely independent and it is really a chance for the fans to have a vote, so we can finally find out what people actually want.

"We hope to learn and understand what the people actually want. Obviously there is a chance now to click and vote on what you would like to see and that gives everyone a much better understanding of what is the truth.

"There has been a lot of talk going back and forth so I think it is good to finally find out."