Monisha Kaltenborn is wary of making too many changes to the regulations in 2017 as the sport targets 1000bhp engines and a new "spectacular formula".
Falling TV figures and apathy towards the current engine formula has generated hunger for a new-look F1 among some of the sport's stakeholders. Bernie Ecclestone is pushing for cars with more power, while Ferrari provoked discussion over the look of the cars with a be releasing a concept design over the winter.
After reaping the rewards of extensive investment in the current V6 turbo formula, Mercedes is reluctant to make big changes to the regulations, but is open to modifying the current power units to produce more power. However, one thing both Ecclestone and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff have emphasised is the need to keep costs under control, especially for customer teams buying the engines.
Yet Kaltenborn is not convinced low-cost changes to the current formula are possible.
"I think we have to really and finally learn - I don't know how long it will take until we learn - but all such changes have simply just led to higher costs," she said. "We've seen that in the past with the power train, that's the biggest cost driver we've had recently, and I think we really we need to get things more affordable."
Kaltenborn believes races this season, including last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix, are proof the sport is in good shape, and if anything the teams should be working to drive down costs.
"Races like this show you how exciting it can be. There was enough action going on in the race, people like to comment on that as well. That's what we really need to target on, not just to see what technically we can do and who has more of an advantage and who has to give up more - these are the wrong discussions we are having.
"I think we should simply say we all have to agree that costs go down, everybody will lose something on it; it's not just one party. Some will lose more, some will lose less, but at the end of the game we'll all gain."