Drivers have been asked to make life more difficult for Lewis Hamilton in the four Formula One races leading up to the British Grand Prix on 5 July.
The success of the world champion Hamilton, who leads the title race after three wins in four races, has boosted ticket sales for Silverstone.
However, the circuit’s managing director, Patrick Allen, said: “My only concern is that if he wins everything by a country mile between now and July, if it becomes a procession, it damages the sport. So it would be great if Sebastian Vettel could stir things up a bit.”
He added: “If I can predict, before I get out of bed, that Lewis will win by four seconds, followed by Rosberg followed by Vettel followed by Raikkonen followed by Bottas followed by Massa, and that’s every race, then the product isn’t good enough.
“My opinion is we need a sport that’s a bit more exciting than that. We mustn’t lose sight of what the fans come here for, and they come here to watch their heroes in a gladiatorial sense, not a guy on a data screen. When it gets to that, we’ve lost the very soul of the sport.
“If the car is always about technical expertise and reliability then we might as well have the technical directors up on the podium.
“I don’t know what the answer is but my feeling is that it’s not as exciting as it could be. It’s more about the technical development of the car and not about the drivers’ skill.”
Allen, the former head of marketing at the Co-op, has made Silverstone more accessible this year. He believes his best idea was to raise the age for free admission from two to 10. Previously, three- or four-year-olds would be charged £87.50. Now, anyone aged between 11 and 15 will pay only £49. Allen also put 1,000 tickets up for sale for race-day for £99, down from £155, and they were sold in 22 minutes.
Allen aims to increase the crowds and reinvest the profits into creating better facilities and cheaper tickets. Silverstone has a contract to stage the British Grand Prix until 2026.
He wants the FIA, the sport’s governing body, to make F1 more attractive. He has also wants the circuits to work together to ensure their survival. This year there will be no German Grand Prix and Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix, is under threat.
“This is a heritage site so it strengthens our hand. But you can’t rely on it. As you get fewer and fewer, it becomes like the World Wildlife Fund – you need to protect it,” he said.
