Every other year we have a series of major rule changes in Formula 1 and 2009 will bring the introduction of standardised Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and a regenerative brake device to recover some of the vehicle's kinetic energy that is normally lost as heat during braking, as well as a number of other measures to restrict the teams.

Storing kinetic energy to be used by a driver to give a car more power at a chosen moment is all very well, but it’s not exactly going to make the sport much more of a spectacle. I’m sceptical as to whether the “boost” gained is going to be enough to give someone a better sustained drive down a straight, maybe it will, but we’ve yet to see much of it in testing.

I fully support cost-cutting measures if it means that the gap is closed between the big works teams and the independents that could allow for additional teams to race in Formula 1, but the FIA need to look into getting back to racing. Developing technologies and devices that can be used in road cars to improve safety and performance is great, but what good is all that if it means that racing is gone? Cars are far too complex and there are too many driver aids taking the racing out of the sport.

The only real way to ensure we get the maximum possibility of overtaking is to completely remove all elements of design from the teams, with a standard car independently designed, leaving the teams and drivers to determine how they think the car should be set up for a race, and for the drivers to go out and show what they can do on a level playing field.

It might sound familiar, and that might be because it’s used in GP2, the feeder series to F1, conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Renault team principal Flavio Briatore. F1 might be the pinnacle of motorsport, but the real racing takes place in the feeder series where there is less money and it’s more about the drivers.

A budget cap has to be introduced - and sooner rather than later. The works teams won’t like it, but they’ll have to live with it or create a breakaway series where they can make the rules and do what they want, but as an F1 fan, I want to see wheel-to-wheel racing with overtaking for the majority of the race. I want to see a driver starting down the grid storming through to win because of what he’s done on the track, not what he’s gained through fuel strategy and how his pit crew have done during stops.