TURIN, Italy -- Sebastian Vettel says Formula One must tread a fine line between danger and safety to ensure it retains its raw appeal to fans.
F1 safety remains a priority for the FIA, with the introduction of the Halo cockpit protection device next year among its many initiatives. However, changes to the 2017 technical regulations will also introduce wider cars with more downforce aimed at reducing lap times by five seconds and positioning Formula One as a more extreme series.
Talking at the FIA Sport Conference in Turin, Vettel said retaining an element of danger is still key to the long-term appeal of motorsport.
"It is [a difficult balance to find], but ultimately it might sound wrong initially, but the sport in some way has to remain dangerous so to say, because that's what's appealing to people," he said. "If you lose that ingredient, people don't sense anymore that it's something out of their reach and out of their world and becomes less exciting.
"It has to be done the right way, which they're trying very hard to do. Next year's regulations should be a step up for at least us, the drivers, for us it's always great, the faster we go. We're not stepping back in any regard. It's a step forward."
Vettel believes it is all about a compromise between safety and excitement.
"The fact the cars have become a lot safer, it's nice for us. Many years ago obviously drivers weren't as lucky, the cars weren't as safe as they are now. I think you need to find the right compromise.
"The ingredients for passion, for speed, for danger, for noise is very important. Equally we want to make the sport safer. We can't shut our eyes if bad things happen. I think we need to react. I think we have in the past years and we still do now."
Vettel said part of the problem is conveying the speed of F1 cars to viewers at home, but thinks tracks like the new Baku City Circuit, with its small run-off areas and minimal room for error, is the way forward.
"I think racing should keep its core pillars and speed is one essential one," he added. "The shame really is to sit here and try to explain how it is to drive one of those cars rather than letting you all have a go! I think the sensation of the speed, the cornering speeds that we can do is incredible.
"It has remained one of the main pillars throughout [F1's history], speaking to drivers such as Stirling Moss, at that time a Formula One car was the best car you could drive and the most exciting one. I think to some extent the ingredient was danger as well, that makes it exciting.
"Just coming from Baku last week, the circuit got a lot of criticism for being too dangerous. I disagree. I think the FIA and the people in Baku, the organisers had done a hell of a job fitting that race track in a place where arguably it is not made for racing, but it's fantastic, there's very little room for error and I think that's why racing is so exciting and what made it exciting in the past."