Spice up F1, say team bosses

While the latest television research shows the sport is more popular than ever, the two team bosses say it would be dangerous to become complacent.

"I remember the days when you had to go crawling on your knees to a sponsor," said Jordan.

"Look at the pits. There was no one there today. In the past, we've had famous names here like Pele and Ronaldo, but not this time.

"This race used to have such a buzz - everyone came a day early and left a day late - but it isn't like that anymore. They arrive late and go early," said the Irishman. "The biggest news was the camera falling off the tracks into the pits.

"When things are going well the big mistake would be not to keep on improving. It is very easy to be complacent when things are going OK. But you can get confused by the figures that you see and the big interest in Formula 1.

"You think 'it's easy' but suddenly you have a downturn that's going to happen in the United States at the moment, starting with the tech stocks, and it filters through. It has a spiralling effect."

Benetton supremo Flavio Briatore added the sport had to continue to appeal to the masses not just its hardcore fans:

"You are not going to get 300 million people watching a boring race," he said. "We need to do everything possible to improve the flavour of Formula 1.

"Not even five percent of the people watching know how many cylinders there are in an engine. It is the rest of the show we need to look at."