Alonso "sad" Formula 1 races are so predictable
Fernando Alonso thinks it is "sad" that Formula 1's competitive order has become so predictable, ahead of a weekend where the future of the sport will be under the spotlight.
Fernando Alonso, McLaren MCL33
Sutton Images
F1's owner Liberty Media is due to make a presentation to teams in Bahrain on Friday to outline its vision for how F1 should be from 2021.
The sweeping changes it proposes – which will likely include a new prize money structure, a cost cap and dramatic new car and engine rules – are likely to lead to split opinions among teams.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Alonso said that one of the things that he wanted F1 to deliver more was closer racing because he is not happy that the order is pretty much set in stone ahead of each weekend.
"I think it could be a closer battle," he said. "That would always be welcomed, but it has always been like that in F1.
"I remember watching TV in the very old days it was on TV last week, a race from 1990 or 1989, and apart from the first four cars everyone was lapped. But we remember that year like a golden era, with big names, etcetera and they have bigger spread.
"If you see now other series, it you watch a race of IndyCar with an unpredictable result until the last 10 laps, it makes you excited in front of the TV.
"Now we can put out the qualifying order for this race on the Thursday and that is a little bit sad."
Force India's Sergio Perez also backed Alonso's stance that the drivers were eager for there to be greater competition on track.
"Liberty has the future of F1 in their hands," said the Mexican driver. "We've seen in the past years that we haven't had the greatest show, and the audience is going down.
"I hope with that they come up with they bring the whole sport more together and they bring a lot of fans back to the sport."
Perez believes that the current crop of drivers were unified in their stance that they should push to help the sport take the right decisions about its future path.
"We're going to be quite strong, we're going to be quite united as well. We want to be working together with F1 to improve the show, to bring the whole field a lot closer.
"More competition in F1, I think it's what the sport needs, and all the drivers are up for it. Whatever we can do to help, we will be up for it."
Alonso is happy, however, with the amount of input drivers have already had with Liberty.
"Definitely Liberty has been quite open to us from day one and they have been asking us all last year about opinions and different ideas that we may have," said Alonso, when asked about driver discussions with F1 chiefs.
"They were very productive conversations, so I think now they have a plan. They will show tomorrow to the teams and we will agree whatever the decision is because they have all the power and all the knowledge of how to do things.
"Hopefully they bring new ideas and new things that can improve the show and that will be welcome from all of us."
Additional reporting by Adam Cooper
Watch: Things that go bump in Bahrain...
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