Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has sided with Sebastian Vettel after his former driver claimed Formula One has become too complex.

In an outspoken Q&A published on the German’s personal website earlier this week, Vettel urged the sport not to lose sight of its motor racing roots. The four-time world champion also claimed that the dominance of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes’ team, which has won 32 of the last 38 races, has driven fans away.

While there have been few alterations to the sport’s regulations over the winter, broader changes are to be made for the 2017 season – and Horner, speaking at the livery launch of this year’s Red Bull, urged Formula One’s rule makers not to miss what he described as a “golden opportunity” to make the racing more exciting.

“I think Sebastian is right in his comments that the drivers need to be the stars,” Horner said. “We’ve got a chance for 2017 and it’s important that we get that right.

“The chassis changes for 2017 need to put the emphasis on the driver and the cars for 2017 need to be big, difficult and powerful and really stretch the drivers.

“I think that will be a bigger spectacle for the fans and followers of Formula One. We have got a golden opportunity to address that and it’s important we don’t miss that.”

Looking ahead to the new campaign which gets under way in Melbourne next month, Horner believes his team are in for a transitional year.

Red Bull dominated between 2010 and 2013 – winning four successive driver and team championships – but they failed to win a race last season, and appeared on the podium at just two grands prix.

Horner added: “It’s going to be a season of evolution for us. It’s probably going to be a season of two halves, the first half is going to be less competitive than the second, but we’re expecting to make significant progress during the year.”