Brown thinks Formula 1 field will even out: 'It'll take another two years'

Zak Brown thinks it will take another two years for the budget cap to have the desired effect. The McLaren CEO thinks the measure will eventually translate into a more competitive Formula 1 field.

The budget cap started at $145 million and will be further reduced to $135 million by 2023. What happens when a team exceeds the limit has now been revealed: Red Bull Racing was penalised with a $7 million fine and a 10 per cent restriction in wind tunnel time.

Brown thinks it will be several years before the desired effect of the measure will be felt. His own team will soon get a new wind tunnel and simulator and hopes that this will allow it to take another step back towards the top.

"Even though everyone is on an equal playing field, or most teams from an annual expenditure standpoint, a handful of teams have come in with better technology infrastructure which we’re catching up on and some other teams are," he said in an interview on McLaren's YouTube-channel of McLaren.

He adds that the introduction of new regulations means it makes sense that there will be a bigger performance difference than usual. "Whenever you have a new regulation that comes out, someone gets it right and someone gets it wrong," the McLaren CEO continued.

"What ends up happening is everyone sees who got it right and they gravitate towards what they’ve seen and what works from an aerodynamic point of view. As these regulations stabilise, people will catch up. In a couple of years time, it’s going to be an awesome competition," Brown said.