Formula 1’s managing director of commercial operations Sean Bratches insists Liberty Media does not want to standardize the sport but is keen on leveling the playing field.

The topic of revenue distribution has long been a point of controversy in F1, with a number of the bigger teams receiving additional payments based on their historical value to the sport. Liberty highlighted the area as something it would be keen to address, and last week’s proposal for new power unit regulations in 2021 also focused on attempts to reduce the cost by standardizing some components.

While Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull currently dominate the front of the grid – aided by large budgets – Bratches (pictured at left, below, with McLaren’s Zak Brown) says it would be wrong to overly restrict teams in attempts to increase competition.

“I think if you look at the most successful sports in the world, there is a more equitable distribution of capital that creates a competitive playing field which engages fans and inserts a degree of unpredictability,” Bratches told RACER. “Today in Formula 1 there is very little degree of unpredictability – it’s almost certain who is going to be on the podium and who is going to be winning.

“I think while those that are investing massively in their teams are enjoying the fruits of that, it would be short-lived from a sporting standpoint and everyone would be served better if it was a more competitive grid.

“We don’t want to homogenize this sport. We want to create a degree off boundaries in which the teams can play and innovate, and those that are more proficient in exploiting the formula will do better.

“But we’re not trying to get this to a circumstance where everybody has to have the same engine or the same livery. That’s not where we’re going, but we just want to bring the back of the grid up to the front of the grid a little closer.”

Following the outlining of future power unit regulations last week – which was met with opposition from the majority of engine manufacturers in the sport – Liberty is also expected to present the teams with a budget cap proposal by the end of this year.