Ralf: F1 needs to be safer.

In contrast to some of his rivals, Ralf Schumacher has spoken out in favour of slowing Formula One cars and making the sport safer.

Having been the only driver sidelined by injury this season, following his back-breaking shunt at Indianapolis during the US Grand Prix, and previous experience of time out of the cockpit, Schumacher is clearly concerned by the prospects of further speed increases bringing greater risks. As a result, he has welcomed the rule changes that the FIA is pushing through to reduce the cars' performance, as well as cut costs for the teams.

The sport's governing body, led by president Max Mosley, has produced a new-look rulebook that will require teams to revise the aerodynamics of the cars, as well as use long-life tyres and engines in an attempt to peg speeds back to levels last seen several seasons ago. Although Schumacher doesn't believe that the changes would prevent a repeat of his Indy accident, which was caused by a puncture, he sees the revisions as a step in the right direction for general safety.

"Basically, there is nothing you can do to protect against something like [a puncture]," he told WilliamsF1's website, "but accidents such as mine at Indianapolis prove that further [safety] measures are necessary in Formula One. Otherwise, the sport will become just too dangerous."

The German's views are in direct contrast to those held by former Williams-BMW team-mate Juan Montoya, who claims that F1 is already safe, and actually needs a little more spectacle to bring back the fans.

"I am happy with how the cars are at the moment," the Colombian said during Schumacher's summer absence, "Ralf's shunt at Indianapolis and [Jarno] Trulli's at Silverstone both looked horrifying, but nothing major happened. We have to be satisfied with the safety standards."

Toyota's Olivier Panis agreed in principle with Montoya when questioned about the need for greater safety. The Frenchman has since announced his retirement from Formula One, but his exit had little to do with self-preservation.

"Of course, we need to [slow the cars] one day but, for me, we need to have quicker cars in Formula One because that's why we're here, why we like Formula One," Panis said, "We need to have some fighting, some overtaking - even with drivers who perhaps take a little bit of a risk. This is Formula One for me. If you need to make a rule for speed, a rule for overtaking, a rule for everything, there's no point [being here] at the end of the day."