The performance gap enjoyed by Red Bull and Ferrari over Mercedes and the rest of the grid is making Formula 1 "less entertaining", said Toto Wolff.
The sport has enjoyed a huge popularity boost in recent years for several reasons, not least of which is plenty of exciting on-track action. And there is more of it per year than ever before with a bloated schedule and the addition of short-form Sprint races.
There are three such events this season, with two having already taken place at Imola and in Austria. Both were dominated by Red Bull and Ferrari – much like the rest of the season given their much superior car performance.
The Sprints have had exciting moments, such as Max Verstappen snatching pole from Charles Leclerc in Italy and the two Ferraris having a tense battle for the front row at the Red Bull Ring. But not everyone is a fan, as some people believe the Sprint is largely just a procession with little racing value.
Wolff believes the problem will not be solved until the sport is more competitive, with a greater number of teams and drivers capable of winning. "I think the reason why races have less entertainment is because there's just too much performance gap between the teams," said the Mercedes chief.
"If you have Verstappen disappearing in a distance, the two Ferraris being the only entertainment during the race and then we are in the middle of nowhere in no man's land. Then the others are further behind, and then you have DRS trains. That never can make a good sprint race."
F1 bosses are keen to expand the Sprint initiative, especially having had to cave to some teams who refused to back an increased number for the current campaign. Six such short-form races are planned for 2023, though that number is yet to be given the sign-off by FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem.
It also means that the proposed venues for Sprints next year are unknown. Many fans will hope Spielberg is not chosen again, as the Saturday action last weekend was generally regarded as a largely dull affair.
But Wolff has confidence that F1 boss Stefano Domenicali will take that into consideration when it comes to choosing venues. He added: "I think if I have trust in one person to choose the right sprint races, it's Stefano. And Stefano will have seen [the Austria race] and will take it into consideration."
