Formula One fans want more races, more teams, more overtaking and more emphasis on driver skill according to the findings of the FIA/AMD Formula One Survey 2005, the largest and most comprehensive analysis of public opinion ever undertaken in motor sport.

94% want more overtaking

74% want more emphasis on driver skill

69% want more teams

84% want 18 or more races in a season

Max Mosley, FIA President said,

"Fans from all over the world agree that the most important challenge to F1 in the next five years is to maintain competitive racing. Many want to place more emphasis on driver skill and less on driver aids. It is also clear that the majority of fans are unhappy with the current qualifying system.

"These and other views will be an invaluable addition to the consultation process on the future rules of Formula One, which began formally this week. For the first time, fans' opinions will form an essential part of this process."

Henri Richard, AMD Executive Vice President said,

"As an industry leading technology partner, AMD is proud to have put our customer-centric philosophy to work with the FIA to help connect Formula One fans around the world and help shape the future of Formula One racing through this unprecedented survey."

"It's encouraging to find that a majority of fans look forward to the technical innovations each season and most believe that technology developed in Formula One has improved the development and safety of road cars. We're excited about the overwhelming success of this survey and look forward to working more closely with the FIA to continue improving one of the world's great sports."

Survey

Independent research specialists TNS Sport analysed more than 93,000 completed surveys from fans in 180 countries worldwide. The majority of respondents have been following the sport for at least six years and many for more than ten. Almost all describe themselves as either very interested or extremely interested in Formula One.

The driver and technology

88% say showcasing the skills of the drivers is the most essential aspect of Formula One

80% agree advanced technology sets F1 apart from other motor sports

74% want more emphasis on driver skill and less on driver aids

64% look forward to the technical innovations each season

Only 15% of fans think Formula One incorporates the right balance of technology and driver skill. Almost two thirds think Formula One currently showcases the most advanced technology in motor sport but only a third believe it showcases the best drivers.

In the next five years, almost three quarters of the fans want to see more emphasis placed on driver skill and less on driver aids.

Calendar

84% of fans want 18 or more races a season

28% want 21 races or more

69% said that the sport should travel to even more new countries

With the 2005 season incorporating 19 races some of the current teams have argued for a shorter calendar. But that opinion is not shared amongst fans, 53% of whom strongly disagreed that there are too many races on the calendar.

Most fans said new circuits had increased their interest in the championship. This was especially the case with younger fans rather than older fans.

Circuits

The most popular circuits are Monaco and Spa with 55% and 53% of fans respectively saying their interest in Formula One would decrease if these circuits were removed from the Championship. Other circuits were voted for as follows: