Todt wants changes to improve driver identification

Formula one drivers should have permanent race numbers that are displayed prominently as in NASCAR.

That is the view of FIA president Jean Todt, who admitted he wanted to make changes to make it easier "to identify a driver" during grands prix.

In an interview with Melbourne’s The Age newspaper, the Frenchman also said he would like to see a driver’s name displayed prominently on his car.

"Like in NASCAR ... a driver who is arriving in formula one, he gets a number. He would keep it for all of his career. You could identify a driver with a number.

"At the moment, you don’t find the number, you don’t find the name," said Todt.

But he admitted it is not simple, even for the president of F1’s governing body, to unilaterally instigate a change.

"I don’t have the power without creating unnecessary conflict to change something I’m not happy (about)," said Todt.

He explained that teams may object based on needing all the bodywork space for sponsors, while the binding Concorde agreement sets out the conditions for rule changes.

"You need to have some strong ground for changing. You need to have a minimum of positive opinion among the group in formula one," he said.

"So far, unfortunately, they are not interested, they are quite happy. It will come ... it will change."