F1 needs solutions, not criticisms - Prost

Four-time world champion Alain Prost believes that Formula 1 needs solutions rather than criticisms, as it looks to rebuild its popularity over the next few years.

On the back of falling television audiences and concerns about rising costs, the FIA has given its president Jean Todt and commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone a mandate to make change.

Prost has often expressed concerns in the past about the state of F1, but thinks it better now to keep his feelings about the situation in private, as he thinks constant criticisms only make the situation worse.

And he believes negativity tends to result in the focus being on specific aspects of the sport, whereas he suggests a wide scale revision is needed.

"I don't want to enter too much into this perspective and I'll tell you why: people only talk about one thing and that is the problem with F1," Prost said in an interview with Motorsport.com.

"People look at the engine, the chassis and then the sporting regulations. But, in my opinion, we need to have a complete package and that is going to take a long time.

"So I don't want to see things going out in the press, as I can see sometimes quotes that don't reflect what I think. There are a lot of things that you need to change altogether."

A different way

When asked if he shared Todt and Ecclestone's concerns that something needed to be done, Prost said: "Yes, but as I said I think the better way is by having a full package [of changes].

"It is not only the engine, or the chassis. It is revenues, it is sporting regulations, it is everything altogether.

"You need to give the possibility to small teams to be more competitive, not only by adding more money, but by finding different ways in the regulations, [especially] the technical regulations."