Toto Wolff believes Formula 1 may have a few things to take away from Fernando Alonso's "spectacular" show run onboard a 2005-spec Renault last weekend in Abu Dhabi.
To celebrate Renault's transition to Alpina in F1 next season, the French manufacturer rolled out its 2005 championship winning R25 at Yas Marina, with Alonso manhandling the glorious sounding V10-powered machine during three separate runs that captivated the audience.
The sight and sound of the wailing nimble machine was a window into a bygone era of Formula 1, and perhaps some food for thought for F1.
"The car with the V10 engine, on the one side is a relic of the past when reducing CO2 emissions wasn't on the cards, and electric mobility didn't exist," Wolff said.
"We're just moving into a new era, and that also means making compromises. But I agree that the car looked spectacular. It was very agile, very small, 150kg lighter, a screaming engine."
Alonso admitted that driving the R25 had brought out the beast in him, a fact that was certainly perceptible from the outside. There were even suggestions that Formula 1 might have had regrets about showcasing the car as it highlighted what the sport is missing.
"When you look at the TV pictures, it looked like they were going much faster [than the current cars]," said Wolff. "So there is something to learn. I believe there is always something to learn.
"I don't think anybody regrets from Formula 1 to have had the car out there, because we need to analyse now that we saw it live what is so attractive? Is it the audio and visual experience that makes it attractive?
"But then I saw the pictures without the sound, and it still looked great, so why is that? We need to analyse that.
"We are stakeholders in the sport, and we need to improve everywhere. But I think all of us, including F1 and the local guys, will look at it and see what we can do."
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