Gerhard Berger says Liberty Media has lots of work to do to keep the F1 show alive.
The F1 legend, who drove for McLaren and Ferrari, told Auto Hebdo that a lot of what the sport’s new owners have done over the past two years have been distractions.
"What I see are actions aimed at diverting attention," Berger, now the boss of the DTM series, told France’s Auto Hebdo.
"Take the ban on grid girls, or the ban on changing the colour of one’s helmet. Meanwhile, we fall asleep in front of the TV," he said.
"Liberty Media is trying to make the sport more attractive, but if the show on the track is not good, it is useless," Austrian Berger added. "Honestly, I’m surprised there are still so many fans."
Berger also commented on the situation at his old team McLaren, with whom he shared a garage with Ayrton Senna in the early 90s.
Now, McLaren is struggling for performance and has just parted with its team boss Eric Boullier.
"It’s a bit painful for me to see what’s going on. Based on my experience, things do not work this way," he said.
"Perhaps I’m wrong, but for the moment, progress is slow. It’s not my business but things are starting to get very complicated," Berger added.