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Two-tier field, not engines, is F1's biggest problem - Lowe

Williams technical chief Paddy Lowe has cautioned against the current focus on engines in Formula 1, saying that the gap between the big teams and the rest of the field should be the prime concern.

Start: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB13 leads Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W08 into turn 2

Paddy Lowe, Williams Shareholder and Technical Director and Robert Fearnley, Sahara Force India F1 Team Deputy Team Principal

Fernando Alonso, McLaren MCL32 battles with Brendon Hartley, Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12 and Pierre Gasly, Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12 at the start of the race

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer, Williams Formula 1

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB13 leads at the start of the race and collides with Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H

F1 chiefs announced earlier this week their vision for future engine regulations after 2020, but the plan was received with scepticism from all the engine manufacturers except Honda, which did not want to comment on the proposals.

While closing the gap between teams is one of the aims of the 2021 regulations proposed by F1 and the FIA this week, Lowe feels the matter has not been given enough attention compared to the engine debates.

"I think actually when you look at F1, although there's a lot of discussion about problems with engines, it's not really the biggest problem in the sport," said Lowe.

"It's seen as a problem amongst the top three teams as they fight for the top steps. The biggest problem at the moment is the huge disparity to the remainder of the teams. It's not around engine choice."

The gap between the top teams and the rest of the pack is expected to be addressed in next week's Strategy Group meeting, when budget caps and cost cutting will be key areas of debate.

Lowe continued: "Go and look at the race in Austin, at the performance split between the top six, or the top five in the end, and the rest.

"It's two different races. That's not split on engine grounds."

Lowe also suggested that changing rules won't necessarily bring the field together, although he conceded that moving to standard parts could help.

"I think when you change regulations you always create opportunity, and actually you create divergence, whether it's around engines or aerodynamics or anything.

"Actually what creates convergence is regulation stability, the more you leave things alone.

"And we see that with the engines today, they are all a lot closer than they were three years ago. I think any regulation change has to be treated with great care.

"I find it curious that people often position new regulations as what's needed to create convergence, and it does the opposite. That's true whether it's power, aerodynamics, or anything else.

"Unless you go to the other extreme and have a regulation that standardises everything, then of course you remove that effect. But even then, what does standard mean? It's a difficult area."