Briatore: F1 is not delivering

Formula 1 chiefs have been urged to switch their focus away from politics and disputes over future rule changes and start putting more effort into improving the entertainment value on track if the sport is not to suffer damage

That is the view of Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who believes that the recent politics between Ferrari and rival teams, as well as arguments over cost cuts and potential rule changes planned for 2008, are not helping the sport's appeal for the public.

"We have a customer - and the customer is the public," declared Briatore. "Sometimes we discuss for hours what we need to do about the new gearbox when nobody is interested. I don't think the public is interested in how much Ferrari, Renault or McLaren is spending.

"The public is interested in seeing a race. Sometimes in F1 we are more in the finance pages of newspapers and not in the sports section. I want to come back to the sport - we want to start talking about the drivers and the races - not about new regulations."

Briatore believes that the problems with entertaining fans goes much deeper than just technical and sporting factors though - because he believes Ferrari's insistence on continuing to use team orders is hurting the sport.

"Ferrari have done a better job, but what Ferrari is missing is two drivers fighting together. We have had moments where McLaren was very competitive, but we had Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna fighting together. It was the same with Williams or us - people battling with each other is what is missing.

"Ferrari is competitive and if Michael has a good fight with his team-mate then it is good for the sport."

And Briatore believes it is more mportant new solutions are tried out, even if they prove to be wrong, than the sport fails to act at all. That is why Briatore believes the controversial move to Sunday qualifying this year was correct - even if ultimately it proves to have been a wrong move.

"I believe we need to try and last year everyone complained that it was boring," said Briatore about qualifying. "This year is maybe a disaster but what I saw last year was that at 9am on a Sunday we had 80-90,000 people at the circuit and nothing happened until 2pm. What are they doing waiting for seven hours?

"We needed to do something. At least we try something. Don't forget, we need to entertain the people because they pay for tickets."