A past FIA steward has voiced strong criticism of the contemporary state of Formula 1.
Despite the sport's soaring popularity, evidenced by last Sunday's Miami GP attracting the largest US television audience for an F1 event, former steward and notable Spanish motorsport official Joaquin Verdegay believes Formula 1 has veered off track.
"The races now are more intended to be a party than a sporting spectacle," he remarked to A Diario.
"I got the impression that the Miami GP was a happening organised to sell trays of nachos."
In discussions regarding Fernando Alonso's concerns at the Miami race, where he felt unfairly targeted by penalties due to his nationality, Verdegay dismissed the idea of any bias against Spanish drivers.
"I don't see that there's a persecution against Spaniards," he clarified.
"What there is, is a loss of control and loss of direction that worries and saddens me," Verdegay continued. "For example, why has racing in the rain stopped? Now there are all these absurd races behind a safety car. But where are we headed?"
"Drivers seem to be much more satisfied if a machine sanctions them racing than an official because they think the machine has no preferences. But I get the feeling that we are ruining the sport."
"I believe no one really enjoys the races anymore," Verdegay asserted.
He also supported Alonso's grievances about the plethora of penalties currently plaguing drivers.
"Alonso's complaints are legitimate," Verdegay noted. "It is possible that the regulations are difficult to interpret, but he just doesn't want everything that happens to be sanctioned."
