Mercedes F1 Chair Niki Lauda Calls Sport 'Over Regulated' Following Delay During British GP

Mercedes F1 Chair Niki Lauda has "slammed Formula One for being 'over regulated,'" and added that Finn Kimi Raikkonen was "partly to blame for his own big first lap accident," according to Tim Collings of the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. Lauda suggested that the delay, to "repair a piece of crash barrier, was too long and unnecessary -- and may have cost the sport large numbers" of TV viewers on a day when it was "competing with the Tour de France and the Wimbledon men's tennis single final." Lauda: "This over nursing of F1, being over cautious, over controlling and over regulating drives me mad. There are too many people involved in making F1 as safe as the roads, which is wrong. ... I have talked to Bernie [Ecclestone] about it and he fully agrees. We have to go back to normal racing" (NZ HERALD, 7/10).