While they may be concerned about the proposed ban on tyre warmers in Formula One from next season, the drivers appear to be in favour of the planned reduction in aerodynamic influence and return of slick tyres.
After many had the chance to try the proposed rue changes in testing at the Circuit de Catalunya last week, albeit running 2009 aero levels and slicks on largely 2008-spec cars - the pilots admitted that the package was more akin to what they had hoped for in
Formula One. Despite being the ones who make things happen on race day, the drivers have little option but to drive the machines given to them by the designers and technicians within their teams, even if they do not provide the thrills that they had been expecting.
"I think it follows the rule that I think all drivers want, which is less aero and better mechanical grip, but whether it will be good or not is a bit too far ahead to know,"
Rubens Barrichello said, hedging his bets slightly more than most, "But I think it it's a step that...
"Honestly, I don't know how we got into the grooves. We raced go-karts, formula cars and everything on slick tyres and, all of sudden, for a boy who dreamed of racing in Formula One, they have this tyre that is just ugly. Of course,
Bridgestone has done a super job with the tyres because we are going faster and faster, but you saw last week that, when we put slick tyres back on the cars, even though it was a hard compound, we went 2.5secs faster. That's the way it should be - slick tyres.
"Back in '98, when I first tested the [grooved] tyre, I had a crash that I really thought I was going to stop but, because of the lack of mechanical grip caused by the tyre, I kept on spinning and crashed. So I think we depend a lot on the grip level of the tyre. If we have the whole tyre on the ground, it's going to help a lot on the safety side as well."
Grand Prix Drivers' Association chairman Pedro de la Rosa agreed that the new rules were moving the sport in a positive direction, both for those competing and those watching on - even if he did add a caveat.
