The gap between Formula One's top teams and lower-budget crews has grown almost insurmountably. Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, and Red Bull have all locked out the podiums this season, allowing just one other team into the top three when Williams driver Lance Stroll squeaked into third at Azerbaijan. While this may be seen as part of F1's allure, some feel that something needs to be done to narrow that margin -- Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz Jr. included.
The talented youngster pointed out what is, to him, an unfair advantage that has been eminent throughout 2017. While he and his team have steadily improved during this season, Sainz Jr. still has not been able to finish better than P6. “I believe in equality, a lot more equality. I believe Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, they need to keep winning the championship. But I believe it should be a bit more exciting," he told Motorsport.com.
Formula One owners Liberty Media have looked into this, even proposing that some parts be standardized to level the playing field. This, or a potential budget cap on teams, is something that may appeal to drivers like Sainz Jr. who have not been able to overcome the budget deficit with those top-tier teams.
“It should include at least half of the field in a possible, potential podium battle. At the moment it’s not happening. There’s no chance. None of the midfield teams can do a podium under normal circumstances.”
Sainz used his own experience from earlier in the year to exemplify the problem. "I believe if you do a perfect weekend, like for example I did in Monaco [where Sainz finished sixth], I should have a chance of scoring a podium, if I’ve done everything perfect." He drew parallels between this case and similar instances like Haas driver Romain Grosjean's exceptional performance in Austria, one that once again only led to a sixth place finish.
When asked which approach he believes is better, Sainz replied, “I don’t know. I don’t understand about politics so I’m not going to include myself in this discussion."
“But I believe they need to find something, a solution, to bring lap times closer between all 10 teams.”