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F1 Bahrain GP: Alonso: We need to make F1 a real man’s sport

Fernando Alonso has urged F1 not to waste its opportunity in shaking up the regulations for the 2017 season, saying it needs to focus on returning it to being a 'real man's sport'.

The two-time world champion has been an outspoken critic of the current generation of F1, saying the cars are not fast enough, too heavy and force you to temper speed in the pursuit of fuel saving, while some of the rules - such as elimination qualifying - are too complex.

Despite this, the McLaren-Honda driver has hope for the coming seasons, saying he expects the regulations - which are yet to be agreed - to speed up the cars and make them more of a challenge.

"From the winter, the main thing is to make the cars faster and make F1 a real man's sport and this is the plan for next year. There is an understanding from everyone we need to change something and hopefully we are doing in the right direction.

"We all want to improve the sport and make the race better and improve the show for everybody. There is no magic solution, every year there are tweaks to the regulations.

"The main point for me is the cars and the rules are probably not as fun to drive as a couple of years ago. The tyres, the weight of the cars, we are 125kg heavier than we were a few years ago, some changes in F1 that are not as fast as we should be.

Still, Alonso suggests there is a short memory when it comes to exciting championships, suggesting 2008, 2010 and 2012 are still fresh for him.

"I think we saw some fantastic championships in recent years, 2010 and 2012 - 2008 with Felipe and Lewis. I think in recent years the sport has been criticised but the show was there to enjoy. The cars should be faster next year so we are constantly making changes to improve the show but I don't think it is a magic solution."

Zdroj: crash.net