Former F1 driver loses interest in sport

One former F1 driver has counted himself out of those who call themselves fans of the sport.

Over a decade ago, Sergey Zlobin became the first Russian test driver in F1 with a role at Minardi.

But now he tells Russia’s Sport-Express that he doesn’t even watch formula one on TV.

"I haven’t watched a single race this year, because the races have ceased to be races," Zlobin insisted.

"I’ve lost interest. Now it’s a championship of budgets, not drivers. Plus, there were some strange innovations, supposedly for security but in fact they were nonsense.

"Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings will be next. I think when they say that girls should be removed from the grid, that’s enough for me," he added.

And so Zlobin said that when he thinks of ’formula one’, he now has to look into the annals of history.

"I think I would have to go to the Ferrari museum and see how the cars used to be. Ideal cars, tracks, drivers. Now there are three or four ideal drivers, three good cars, and no ideal tracks. Monaco is traditional but it’s far from ideal.

"I repeat, today in formula one there is nothing for me to watch," he said.