14 May 2015

F1 bosses want to spice up their sport

9:06 am on 14 May 2015

Formula One bosses and the top teams will meet to discuss a revamp of the sport, and air their technical concerns, but with considerable doubt as to how much they can actually agree.

Past Strategy Group meetings, each billed as increasingly 'crucial', have rarely lived up to even modest expectations.

The Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Formula One has major challenges to address including soaring costs, struggling teams, falling viewing figures in some regions, and a failure to engage a younger audience.

Ferrari are among those to have called for a rules 'revolution' from 2017, with bigger, louder and more affordable engines in faster and more fearsome cars.

Formula 1 drivers will take the unusual step of surveying fans as Bernie Ecclestone and other key figures explore ways of spicing up the sport.

Bernie Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone Photo: PHOTOSPORT

With Mercedes once again dominating this season as Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg fight for supremacy, F1 is under fire for lacking excitement.

Ecclestone and co are already contemplating rule changes for 2017.

But drivers have decided to take matters into their own hands by asking fans what they would do.

They intend to use social media to canvass views on a wide range of issues - technical, commercial, audience behaviours, etc - even asking fans whether F1 should be viewed as sport or entertainment.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association, chaired by former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, discussed the idea at the Spanish Grand Prix and plan to launch the survey over the Monaco race weekend, from May 20 to 24.

Whether it has any impact is another matter.