Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel has said he sympathises with the current Formula 1 drivers amid concerns over the controversial new cars, insisting they must be kept happy as "the face of the sport."
F1's all-new regulations for the 2026 season have attracted fierce criticism from the drivers, particularly Max Verstappen, whose future is in doubt due to his disdain.
The rules -- which place an onus on drivers managing their battery due to a 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power and also include 'gimmicks' such as a boost button to overtake -- were tweaked earlier this week, but there are doubts over how big an impact the changes could make.
Vettel, who retired in 2022 and has kept a low profile since, gave his opinion to Swedish broadcaster SVT on Tuesday about the rules.
"From a sporting side I hear and I echo some of the criticism because the cars are probably fun to drive, but it's not so much fun to race because of the regulations and the difficulties that come with that," Vettel, who won his four titles with Red Bull from 2010 to 2013.
"So I sympathise with the drivers. And [it's] very critical not to lose the DNA and the heart of the sport, which is finding the fastest driver, and the fastest machine to win the race."
F1, the governing FIA and the sport's teams have agreed to a set of rule changes ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, though F1 has stressed privately that they are minor tweaks to a set of rules it is still steadfastly in favour of.
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"I've seen it briefly," Vettel added on the changes. "I hope from a sporting view -- that's what they're trying to address -- it makes the drivers happier, because ultimately the drivers are the face of the sport, and when they come out of the car and they're full of adrenaline and very excited, it's what makes people excited on the screens, and in the stands as well."
Vettel was in Stockholm to collect the Perfect World Foundation Award for 2026, which he was awarded "for using his global voice to highlight urgent environmental and biodiversity challenges."
The German is running the London Marathon on Sunday, raising money for the Brain & Spine Foundation and the Grand Prix Trust.
