Pierre Gasly believes it's unfair to label the 2023 F1 season as boring and insists a bit more time is needed to assess the current level of Formula 1's spectacle.
Last year, most drivers felt that the sport's new technical regulations had succeeded in their objective of boosting the spectacle on the track.
But as engineers work tirelessly to increase the downforce levels of F1's new-generation cars, overtaking is proving challenging once again, a problem compounded by the FIA's decision to shorten DRS zones which only adds to the drivers' difficulties.
A consensus emerged in the wake of last month's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race labeled as "boring" by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff for its significant lack of action up and down the field.
But Alpine's Gasly wants more time before judging the current state of Formula 1's show.
"If you go to the cinema and after 15 minutes the movie is s**t, and the last hour and a half is amazing, I don't think it is fair to make such claims [about the season being boring]," said the Frenchman, quoted by RacingNews365.
"I think you need to give the season slightly more time."
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Gasly believes that Formula 1's spectacle is being judged by the action at the front of the field, where Red bull is proving unassailable.
But the Alpine charger suggests that F1's tight mid-field battles often provide fans with some good action.
"The fight at the front personally, I don't really pay so much attention to the championship battle, because that is not where we are fighting at the moment," Gasly added.
"In the midfield, let's say around the fourth, fifth, sixth position, it is extremely tight and every weekend you see these very close gaps and this keeps us alert every single weekend."
Finally, Gasly reckons that Red Bull's hegemony up front won't go unchecked by its direct rivals, with upcoming updates hopefully helping the latter to bridge the gap.
"We can't back off or have any day off because we look at the championship battle, I see a clear trend and Red Bull is quite dominant," he said.
"Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes are all going to bring upgrades, and then it might change, so we need to give it slightly more time.
"But I am personally more focused on our battles, and we do have some work to do."
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