Stewart's verdict: F1 future secure
Legendary driver and former team owner Sir Jackie gives his thumbs up to the sport despite the spate of controversies surrounding it
Dubai: Formula One legend Sir Jackie Stewart believes "the future of the sport is secure" despite the several ugly episodes it has faced in recent years.
Speaking at an RBS F1 promotional campaign at the Dubai Autodrome, the three times world champion told XPRESS: "I naturally don't approve of the scandals that have occurred both within the FIA and on the race track. That must change. We cannot allow that kind of illegality or behaviour.
"Beyond that, I think the sport is in a very healthy condition and the future of the sport is secure. I think it's a global sport that allows us many more years of participation by the motor industry, by the multinational corporations who sponsor the sport and for the manufacturers who are participating in the sport. It has a huge television audience so I'm very confident that the future will be robust," he added.
From his days of dominance on the race track to creating his own team-Stewart Racing, there aren't too many who have experienced the sport's evolution in quite the same way as Sir Jackie. It was thus no surprise that he had a fair bit to say on the frequent changes to the rules and regulations.
"I thought Kers was not a good idea," said Sir Jackie referring to the regenerative braking device designed to recover part of the vehice's kinetic energy. "I understand the need for passing, but at a time when the same governing body were trying to cut back on budgets, they were allowing a very large amount of money to be spent to develop a new technology that had previously never been experienced. But you've got to learn by error."
Leave the rules alone
And Sir Jackie hopes the FIA permanently scrap their proposal of awarding the world championship to the driver who wins the most number of races in a season.
"If we had gone by that, the world championship would have been won by the time of the British Grand Prix. I think it's better to leave it as it has been now for quite some time. I personally think for the spectators, it's a pretty good formula that should not be changed," said the man who went on to make an interesting revelation. "Ironically, I don't miss driving a race car. But I still adore the sport and will certainly have goose pimples at the start of the race in Abu Dhabi," he said.
