Mansell Attacks the Current State of F1

The Briton claims that as a spectator he feels 'cheated' by the state of the sport this year and by the series of regulation changes over the past few years, which he thinks have detracted from the spectacle. He is also still furious about events at Indianapolis.

"I think I am exceedingly more disappointed than ever this year," Mansell told Autosport-Atlas. "I think F1 has brought itself into disrepute.

"It is a great shame for the sponsors, the team owners and the manufacturers. They deserve better and if they don't deserve better, then the fans do. I also think what happened in America was an outrage, a disgrace, and it should not have happened."

Mansell has said that he is fed up of being stopped on the street by F1 fans and being blamed for lack of overtaking and excitement - which he believes has been caused by Grand Prix Racing's chiefs constantly tinkering with regulations over recent years.

"At the end of the day, you and I know in half an hour we could write a better set of rules - and I don't care who this upsets," he explained. "If it isn't broken don't try and fix it, and what they have done in the last couple of years is rewrite things to try and make it fairer or more interesting. But what they have made it is Mickey Mouse.

"One set of tyres for F1? How dangerous is that? F1 at the moment keeps shooting itself in the foot badly and there is no need. I love it, it is the pinnacle of motorsport and it should behave accordingly. And it isn't."

Although the sport is set for a dramatic overhaul from the start of 2008, Mansell believes F1's chiefs should try and introduce change before then to head off what he believes will be a big loss of fans.

"Why do we have to wait until 2008? They deserve all they get and they are losing a lot of credibility and a big fan base.

"I know they are sometimes all arrogant enough to think that it doesn't matter, but I honestly think that it does."