“It is s***,” declared Vettel when he was asked for his view on the
sound of the V6 turbo engines. “I was on the pitwall during the race,
and it is better [quieter] than in a bar!
“I think for the fans it is not good. I think F1 has to be spectacular –
and the sound is one of the most important things.
“I remember when, although I don’t remember much because I was six years
old, but we went to see the cars live in free practice in Germany, and the
one thing I remember was the sound.
“[I remember] how loud the cars were, and to feel the cars through the
ground as it was vibrating. It is a shame we don’t have that anymore.”
His team-mate, Daniel Ricciardo, whose expulsion from the Australian Grand
Prix is being appealed against by Red Bull, was more sanguine. He said the
sound is “alright”, and “something different to get used to”.
Button, on the other hand, suggested that the noise from the new hybrid power
units did not change the feeling as a driver.
“Go and race something else if you’re not happy,” the 34-year-old said. “As
drivers we don’t have an opinion where the cars are in terms of sound and
feel.
“But when you cross the finish line first you’ve won a grand prix, so
you don’t care what the car sounds like or what it looks like.
“You’ve beaten the best in the world, and that’s all you care about.”