Sebastian Vettel thinks Formula 1 "is far too complex" and needs to focus more on finding out who the fastest driver.

The future of the sport remains unclear as teams have yet to agree on the 2017 regulations following initial announcements that the cars would be much faster and more aggressive-looking next year. Vettel believes the complexity of the regulations at present makes it difficult for fans to relate to the cars and detracts from the battle between the drivers.

"I think primarily [F1] should be a sport and about which driver is the fastest," Vettel told his official website. "The car plays a key role today and in the past, but we should not lose that in the complicated regulations.

"The spectators must be able to identify with the technical aspects of the car, currently it is far too complex. In addition, the sound is missing."

And asked what he believes are the reasons for declining interest in F1 in Germany, Vettel replied: "The past dominance of Mercedes in the last two years has of course taken away the excitement for many fans.

"In addition, we are currently focused too much on the details. I think we must not lose sight of the roots of motorsport and I hope that the cars are more tangible for all in the future."

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

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