Former F1 driver Jarno Trulli has questioned the state of Grand Prix racing and believes the sport is at risk of entering an “irreversable” downturn.

Trulli, a veteran of 252 F1 career starts in F1 who raced mainly for Renault, Toyota and Lotus, insists that Formula 1 is no longer the dashing, high performance sport he once knew.

"What has Formula 1 become?" the 44-year-old Italian blogger Leo Turrini.

"Do you realise that in Singapore the drivers were 10-12 seconds per lap slower than the pole time? It's absurd, ridiculous.

"I imagine the dismay that guys like Kimi, Fernando, Lewis and Seb must feel, as they knew the Formula 1 that really was Formula 1.

"That F1 pushed from the start to the finish, but now you need to look after consumption, the tyres, so on. Without intervening quickly, this distortion of Formula 1 risks becoming irreversible.

"I regret it enormously because I love this world -- it represented so much of my life. What a pity," he added.

Trulli casts a critical eye on F1 but the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix winner is still mighty impressed with Lewis Hamilton's performance this year.

"He has always been strong but usually something goes wrong with him, but this time he has made no mistake," acknowledged Trulli.

"I'm sorry to say it but he has been better than Vettel. For Ferrari, the dream is fading once again."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

‘Difficult to pass’: Ocon raises early alarm over 2026 F1 cars

Esteban Ocon fears Formula 1’s 2026 cars could make overtaking a tougher art rather than…

3 hours ago

Jenson Button named Aston Martin F1 Team Ambassador for 2026

Jenson Button is heading back into the Formula 1 spotlight – not in a race…

5 hours ago

Wolff calls out Mercedes engine rivals: ‘Get your sh*it together!’

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has fired a blunt warning across the Formula 1 engine landscape,…

5 hours ago

A tribute to a talented fallen F1 hopeful

Roger Williamson - the young British F1 hopeful who was lost to motorsport in a…

7 hours ago

Russell confident in Mercedes W17 – but stops short of title claim

Mercedes’ George Russell is currently the bookmakers’ favorite for the 2026 F1 world title, yet…

7 hours ago

F1 engine dispute heads for boiling point in key FIA meetings

This week, Formula 1’s engine manufacturer’s are heading into two crucial meetings with the FIA,…

9 hours ago