Current F1 cars are slow expensive dogs

Fernando Alonso says current Formula One cars feel very slow in comparison to the cars he drove in the early stages of his career, but he has given up trying to influence the future direction of the sport.

F1 is at a crossroads at the moment with some stakeholders looking to alter the regulations in 2017 despite a complete overhaul of the formula last year. High on the agenda for 2017 are proposals to make the cars more powerful and more difficult to drive, but it remains to be seen whether they would be able to match the lap times of the cars from 2004, which still hold most lap records.

"I think the cars are different, the cars are slower and heavier," Alonso said. "In China, the pace in the race was 1:43s and in 2004 the pace was 1:33s, so it is 10 seconds difference. When you drive 10 seconds slower you don't have the same feelings, but on the other hand the DNA of the sport remains the same, which is competing against the others, beating the others and being cleverer than the others.

"When I go go-karting with friends, I have so much fun and you are doing 50kph, so it doesn't matter how much quicker or slower you are, you just enjoy the competition. In terms of pure Formula One feelings, of course as a driver we are very slow at the moment."

Alonso said drivers are not in a position to influence the regulations because teams and manufacturers in the sport have more power.

"It is tough, it is difficult. As a driver, you're in a position to ask for many things but I think there is so many interests, so many businesses in the sport and manufacturers involved, they are more powerful than any driver's opinion. You enjoy driving even go-karts, so it just a matter of trying to win." espn.com