F1 rule tweaks will improve the show, say Mercedes drivers

New tyre rules that have been introduced for 2016 allow greater freedom for teams to pick their own compounds for each race – and even choose differently between its two cars.

And although a lot of teams have made the same choices for the season opener in Australia, there remains scope for some very different approaches to the race: something Rosberg thinks could spice things up.

“The tyres might have a bigger impact than we could predict, because there are three tyres in Melbourne that we can use,” explained Rosberg at a Mercedes media event in Germany.

“People can gamble a little bit more and that will increase the variability, and variability is probably good in that sense. That could increase the excitement, thanks to Pirelli.

“Many things can happen. But let's wait and see. There are two weeks to go. It should be an exciting start to the season anyway.”

Radio ban

One of the other big changes coming in to force this year is more restriction on radio communications.

Drivers will now be far more influential, with teams no longer allowed to give them a lot of information that they had at their disposal in the past.

Hamilton believes the changes will make life much more difficult in the car, and even suggests the limits go too far.

“It's an ongoing thing, but the time we've spent at the factory and the track, we were really trying to understand what the ban would mean in terms of what they can and cannot say to us,” he explained.

“It is a big change. Whether or not I agree with all the implications, I think it's definitely going to make it a lot harder.

“We have to memorise a lot more things. There's so many different processes, and sequences, that we have to go through in the car.

“We're just trying to figure ways in which we can remember them - so sometimes you'll see stickers in the car or stickers on the steering wheel because there is literally so much.

“And some of it is of no benefit in terms of improving our pace or anything like that, it's just to keep the car going, because it is so technical."

He added: “That's why I'm saying, some of it I don't agree with because it's irrelevant to the pace of the car or to the spectators.

“But I think the idea is probably a good thing and I think you'll see it evolve over the races.

"We're all probably going to struggle in the first race in some way or some form, but we've tried to prepare the best way we can.”