Lauda: MotoGP is better than F1, which is just too easy

Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi are currently tied at the top of the MotoGP standings on 211 points, with Lorenzo leading thanks to having secured more race wins than his Yamaha team-mate. Reigning world champion Marc Marquez is third, 52 points adrift having won three races - the same number as Rossi - compared to five for Lorenzo.

Lauda visited the Czech Grand Prix at Brno this weekend, a race won by Lorenzo by 4.4s from Marquez, and the Mercedes chairman says the racing impresses him more than F1.

“It’s unbelievable, 350kph or more, and to watch how they control them – it’s the most incredible racing you can see today,” Lauda is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com.

“Unfortunately, in Formula 1 it is the opposite. The cars are so easy to drive that you don’t see skids or something similar. It is difficult to cope well with the bikes, and it shows why we are working on the cars to be more difficult to drive again."

F1 technical chiefs are working on a set of regulations to be implemented in 2017 which are designed to make the cars faster and more aggressive looking.

Lauda is right: MotoGP races are stunning, mesmerising, and full of overtaking and drama. They're a breath of fresh air, particularly to petrolheads who might feel a little jaded by Formula 1's predictability. Equally, though, there's still something magical about F1 because of its status at the pinnacle of motorsport. It's almost like the difference between Test cricket and T20: Test matches can be long, dull and predictable, while T20 is always entertaining. Yet when a Test match really delivers, it provides a level of drama, intrigue and ultimately fan satisfaction that can't be matched.

Reporting via F1i.com - Find this article on F1i.com