Nico Rosberg says Bernie Ecclestone's suggestion of increasing risk in Formula One would be "turning back time" on safety in the sport.
F1 boss Ecclestone suggested the sport should artificially increase the risk factor by introducing walls around corners to prevent drivers running wide and gaining an advantage. During Thursday's Drivers' Press Conference in Mexico, Rosberg said there are many other areas the sport needs to address before considering adding further elements of risk.
"My opinion is that there is 10 other areas which we should look at before, if we want to make the sport even better than it is, before we start looking at turning back time on safety. That would be my view on that," he said.
His fellow drivers were in agreement. Force India's Sergio Perez believes there are ways to increase the challenge for drivers without having to add to the risk factor.
"I certainly agree with Nico," Perez said. "I think there's so many more areas where we can improve the sport before starting to put the safety in risk and I definitely think we can definitely make the circuits a bit more challenging for the drivers.
"Not necessarily with walls but making the drivers pay for a mistake. If you go off having a gravel trap and losing time, that kind of things I think is good for the sport because it forces the drivers not to make any mistakes."
Carlos Sainz was also asked for his opinion and highlighted excessive run-off areas at modern tracks as the main reason why drivers are not provided enough of a challenge.
"For me obviously safety comes first but also challenge is for drivers," the Spaniard said. "I just did the track walk this morning and when you see so much tarmac run-off that you can wide in Austin.
"It's good for safety but I'm convinced we could use some devices to make it a bit more challenging to make sure if you go a bit more off the track you at least pay something and you don't gain an advantage. At the moment it's too easy for us to miss the braking point, nothing happens, you continue and you don't even lock up a tyre."