When drivers take pride in finishing a race as 'best of the race', it's a clear sign something is very wrong with Formula 1 says Sergio Perez.
In recent years, the sport has seen the dominance of a trio of unassailable front-runners - Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull - and the formation of a midfield fighting for the title of "best of the rest".
The advent of the hybrid era in F1 and its incredibly sophisticated technology has led to a gap not only in performance but also in terms of budgets.
Liberty Media ambitions to level the playing field when it introduces a new regulation platform in 2021, including a budget cap, but in the interim a two-tier F1 is damaging for the sport insists Perez, who remembers achieving a string of podium finishes with the modest Sauber team back in 2012, when such a feat was possible.
"That is quite difficult," he told Motorsport.com. "The difference in budget these days, going into a new generation of cars, is tremendous.
"You cannot compete. The last four or five years it was simply two categories in Formula 1.
"I've never heard before, that people were talking about "yeah, I won the race", when you are best of the rest, or 'I'm leading the championship' if you are best of the rest.
"That shouldn't be the way. That is damaging the sport a lot."
Haas' Kevin Magnussen admits he races on Sunday without a thought for the top three teams and their six drivers, preferring to boost his motivation by focusing on his battle within F1's second division
"I’m kind of creating this big championship in my head," he told Autosport. "I know it doesn’t exist, but in my head, it’s something to motivate myself with.
"I’ve let go of those top three teams, I’m not worried about that, but we are in an even fight with the two or three other teams in the midfield and that fight is something that I really want to win."
As everyone awaits for the full details of F1's regulation overhaul, Perez only hopes they will result in more teams fighting for top spoils in the future.
"I really hope for the benefit of the sport that in 2021 you have five teams fighting for victories every race," said the Mexican.
"That will be a dream come true. As a fan, I'd like to see that."
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