A week after their controversial letter calling for an overhaul of the sport, fearing the direction in which it is heading, F1 drivers, unlike their bosses, remain united in their opinion.

Other than Fernando Alonso's withdrawal from the event, the letter from the GPDA is the main talking point in Bahrain, in that it represents two things almost unheard of in the sport. Firstly, the drivers speaking out, and secondly, unanimity.

A week after that letter, amidst numerous other U-turns in F1, the drivers stand by their call for change.

"I think the letter says everything," said Fernando Alonso. "We love the sport. We love it so much that maybe we think the last couple of years we've been a little bit moving left and right with not a clear direction and we want to help in any of the things the fans want, the drivers want, the sponsors want, that are quite clear in some of the things we've been searching in the last couple of years.

"It's just a letter of... a supporting letter from all of the drivers that we do care about our sport and we would like to get involved in some of the decisions or in some of the things that we could help somehow. It's a start. It's the way the sport is moving in the last couple of years, maybe we don't see it completely right."

"We're all united on this opinion because we love the sport and can see the fans are criticising some aspects that we could do better," added Nico Rosberg. "We could be even more exciting as a sport and we want to question whether or not the F1 governance cannot review the process in which decisions are made in all these things to try to get it to a point where we can get some better decisions done and become a more exciting sport.

"There's recent examples, with this qualifying," he continued, "where the fans are just at home and they're not happy with it. We're racing for the fans. Mostly for the fans. That's the examples that are now the recent cases.

"Even the rules for next year," he continued. "We're putting on more downforce although actually we should be trying to help overtaking. More downforce is known for making overtaking and following other cars more difficult. It's not necessarily the right way. With all of these things we are saying that we would like to be more involved, have more of a say, us drivers - so let's see where this takes us.

"Fernando resumed it pretty well," said Romain Grosjean, "he has broken ribs and he wanted to race because we love the sport. We are fans of Formula One. We want it to be the best that it can be with the best drivers, the best car, the best shows.

"As Nico says, right now the decisions haven't been so good in terms of fans replies, or media or the sponsors. We just want to help the sport that we love more than anything."

Asked if he has faith in Bernie Ecclestone and Jean Todt to move the sport in the direction in which the drivers believe it should be headed, Rosberg said: "It would be inappropriate now to mention any names or criticise any individuals or even compliment individuals, it's just that we know that it's not perfect the way it is, it could be better and so it needs to be reviewed and that's what we're trying to encourage."

"It's not a problem of any names," added Alonso. "Actually I think Bernie has been looking to protect the sport all the time and to improve the sport and to improve the show. I think Bernie, Jean, everyone is doing their best but the system is somehow a little bit old in terms of decisions.

"As Nico pointed out before, the new qualifying system, also the new rules, these radio restrictions now that seem very attractive for you guys and from the outside, it's a little bit contradictory when we have a very complex car, very complex technology with hybrid engines, with everything to manage and now we cannot have any information about the cars. You cannot give us a spaceship and then not tell us anything when we are there. These kind of things are making drivers a little bit confused and a little bit... we need to help in the future for Formula One."

Despite being the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, not all drivers are members. However, Rosberg was adamant that all the drivers are behind the letter.

"This letter was signed by the GPDA but it is all the drivers, the whole grid, and that's what counts," insisted the German.

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