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Niki Lauda does not think Formula One should turn to Flavio Briatore to make the sport more popular and believes it is already making progress with recent changes.

After criticism of the sport this season and lower numbers of spectators at some circuits, Formula One has set up a new working group to address the popularity of the sport. Briatore was named as a possible figure to head the group, although Bernie Ecclestone has since played down the chances of the ex-Renault team principal getting involved.

Asked if Briatore was the man for the job, Lauda said: "No. Why do we need Flavio? I have heard this for the first time, but Bernie is in charge, and he should stay in charge."

Lauda trusts in Ecclestone to improve F1 and said a recent push to allow drivers to race without excessive penalties is already making the sport better.

"We should think, together with Bernie because he is the master, what we can improve," he said. "I have to say the change that we had with Charlie [Whiting, race director] and the stewards not get involved as much as before was a great move. [At Hockenheim] even the Sauber in the middle of the road it was exciting. If there was a safety car then everybody would get bored.

"So Hockenheim was an improvement with 'under investigation', and in Hungary we have seen no problems at all with 'under investigation' because today there were a lot of things that could have been under investigation. It is going in the right direction now."

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