Lewis Hamilton criticises F1 for not listening to drivers

In the wake of a shambolic qualifying process at the season opening Australian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has attacked the way F1 is run, claiming there are too many decision-makers and that they are ruining the sport.

Hastily imposed new rules during qualifying did not go well at Melbourne and there were no cars on track for the final five minutes of the session. Fortunately a thrilling race, eventually won by Nico Rosberg with Hamilton second, deflected much of the criticism.

But that did not stop the Mercedes driver having his say, reports Planet F1. Hamilton believes Formula 1's decision-making structure has become "rather chaotic... [and] is having a negative effect on the sport", says the website.

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He told Autosport: "I feel at the top end there are probably way too many people making decisions, who probably don't have a lot of understanding of what it's like in the car. All the people making the decisions have different opinions and if they don't all agree then something doesn't get done.

"My understanding is there are teams with more money, more say than others, and the problem is for us drivers, half of us will say one thing and half will say another.

"I don't know what the answer is, but there needs to be less people making the decisions, and hopefully making the right ones," he added.

At present, the sport is overseen by a strategy group, the F1 Commission and the World Motor Sport Council and all three play their part in defining the rules, "although the latter primarily only ratifies the decisions made by the former two", says Autosport.

Hamilton has been criticised for failing to offer his opinions in drivers' meetings, but he feels his views "are not listened to, which is why he rarely attends, and that when he does, he often decides not to offer an opinion", says the website.