Formula One drivers have dismissed provocative comments from Bernie Ecclestone about building more walls around the outside of corners.

Ecclestone suggested to the media today drivers should be discouraged from going wide by using walls in place of run-off areas.

However Nico Rosberg said there are many other aspects Formula One should prioritise over relaxing safety standards. “There are ten other ares we should look at before if we want to make the sport even better than it is before we start looking at turning back the time on safety,” he said in today’s press conference.

Rosberg’s view was backed by Sergio Perez. “There are so many more areas where we can improve the sport before starting to put the safety in a risk,” said the Force India driver.

“I think we can definitely make the circuits at bit more challenging for the drivers,” he added. “Not necessary with walls but making the driver pay for their mistakes: if you go off, have a gravel trap and losing time. That kind of thing I think is good for the sport because that forces the drivers not to make any mistakes.”

Carlos Sainz Jnr cited this weekend’s venue, the recently-renovated Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, as an example of a track which has become too unchallenging for F1 drivers.

“Obviously safety comes first,” he said. “[But] I just did the track walk this morning and you know when you see so much Tarmac run-off that you can go wide like 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 at least you pay something, you don’t gain an advantage.”

“At the moment it’s too easy for us to just miss a bit the braking point, nothing happens, continue and you don’t even lock up a tyre.”

2016 Mexican Grand Prix