Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has refused to join a growing list of top names who are criticising the sport.
The 30-year-old is in an increasing minority of those who feel F1 remains in good shape, even though groups and committees are being formed to make changes and appeal once again to a mass audience.
The FIA, F1's governing body, as well as Formula One Management and the drivers' own union, the Grand Prix Drivers Association, have all started their own ways of bringing about change to the rules and regulations.
Here in Austria, F1 returns for the first time since the Le Mans 24 Hour race last weekend, with the event praised for its wheel-to-wheel racing and access for spectators.
Many drivers in the F1 paddock waxed lyrical about endurance racing and their future hopes of competing at Le Mans but Hamilton, who finished second and fifth in Friday's two practice sessions, said he has never even watched the event and does not think Formula One is in turmoil, at least from his perspective.
"It is the same as it has always been for me," he said.
"It is fun driving the cars, the same as it has been every year. I always get to drive a new car, it is always a challenge for me and I enjoy it as much as I ever have. I don't see the races so I can't see their point of view.
"I don't know what people are saying. Just knowing how the world works there will be a few people that say one thing and a few people who say positive things. That is how it is with everything.
"It is not my job to decide what Formula One does. There are big guns paid a lot of money to come up with the ideas and it is their job, I just drive the car."
Questions have been asked about the racing itself, with a lack of on-track action causing television audiences to switch off and crowds to stay away from the circuits.
Yet Hamilton does not feel that a lack of overtaking is anything new.
"It is, but when has it ever been that?" the Mercedes driver replied when asked if F1 was all about overtaking.
"I have overtaken quite a lot of people in my time but you look back at Ayrton Senna's races, you look back at (Alain) Prost's races, you look even further back and has there been a lot more before? It has pretty much been the same for a long time. I would say there is even more now with the tyres.
"It is very difficult for us drivers to say certain things because we have sponsorship deals, we have partners and we have to represent the sport in a certain way.
"You're only cutting your own tail off if you say something. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if you are emotional about anything, it makes no difference whatsoever."
Source: PA
