Vettel: Why is Formula One trying to be like Mario Kart?

SEBASTIAN Vettel has accused Formula One’s rulers of reducing the world’s best motor racing series to a version of the computer game Mario Kart.

The Ferrari driver does not believe the introduction of an extra overtaking opportunity at the Austrian Grand Prix is anything more than a gimmick.

he may need all the help he can get, mind, given his title rival Lewis hamilton’s dominance in practice. The Brit headed timesheets in both sessions and finished the day two-tenths of a second ahead of Vettel (right), who was third quickest behind the two Mercedes cars.

But the German, addressing the addition of a third drag reduction system ( DRS) zone at the red Bull ring, said: ‘ A lot of people like Mario Kart, including me — I played it when I was young. But then again Formula One shouldn’t get artificial. Maybe the extra DRS helps with overtaking, but if you end up sailing past another car it isn’t very exciting either. ‘There’s more tension and excitement if something proper happens.’ The tweak is a reaction to the lack of natural overtaking brought about by the immense downforce that prevents close-quarter racing. Vettel’s criticism came 500 days into Liberty Media’s £ 6billion buyout of the sport. Their boldest move so far has been to get rid of grid girls, and their biggest challenge is redrawing the rules from 2021. ‘ Far and away Liberty’s biggest challenge is how to address the future,’ said red Bull team principal Christian horner. ‘If they and the FIA (the sport’s governing body) aren’t fully aligned, the teams all chip in with agendas and we end up with compromises and vanilla-type regulations.

‘everything seems to be getting watered down. The next 500 days are going to be very telling.’ Tweaks are planned to improve overtaking next year, but horner is on record as saying it is a futile exercise and a costly one.

Off track, hamilton has recorded raunchy — very, very raunchy — lyrics on a Christina Aguilera album. he is not admitting it, singing under the pseudonym ‘XNDA’ and then dodging questions about the song, Pipe. Mercedes say they are relaxed about what the world champion does away from racing.