Top teams are 'light years' ahead - Sainz

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Scuderia Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz admits that Formula 1's top teams are "light years" ahead of the opposition on all levels.

As he assesses his performance at the beginning of this season, the young Spaniard says he is happy with the "best start" he has enjoyed in his three years at the pinnacle of motor sport.

"My three years of experience are helping," he told the Spanish press.

"But still, it wasn't easy because half of the grid is very close together."

But Sainz admitted to some "frustration" that leading teams Ferrari and Mercedes are "light years" ahead of the rest.

"If there is something missing in Formula 1, it is that this gap is so great between the first two and the others," Sainz said in Barcelona.

"If you look at the budgets, you know that it is impossible to reach them. So I hope Liberty finds agreement among everyone so that it (the gap) can be reduced."

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Sainz gave the thumbs-up to F1's new era of much faster cars however.

"If you look at the teammates in F1, the gaps between them are more noticeable, you see more mistakes in qualifying and in the race.

"We are obviously more on the limit, which makes the drivers look better," said Sainz.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.