Formula 1 should only have the very best drivers according to Ross Brawn, who says the commercial and feeder aspect must be addressed to ensure pay drivers aren't as prolific as they have been in previous seasons.
Although the 2017 season has fewer 'pay drivers', past years have seen a number of drivers buy their way into the sport as teams have struggled with their finances, often being forced to turn to drivers that bring significant backing from sponsors.
Brawn, who met with MotoGP boss Carmelo Ezpeleta last weekend, is eyeing a similar junior set-up to what the superbike series has in place with its Moto3 and Moto2 series, which race on the same calendar as the pinnacle event, MotoGP.
Although F1 has both Formula 2 (formerly GP2 until this year) and GP3, they only race on a handful of F1 weekends, making it difficult for fans to follow the series and get to know the junior drivers.
"I like the meritocracy that they have between Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. I like the progression that they have," Brawn told Reuters, adding the structure is "a great example of where we [F1] should be".
Brawn says the commercial side also needs addressing and lessons can again be learned from MotoGP: "I think it’s interesting looking at the commercial side, the way they structure the teams and the deals and the way it works for the customer teams. I think it’s an interesting element.
"We should have the 22 or 24 best drivers in the world in Formula 1," added Brawn. "There are commercial considerations… which means we don’t always achieve that.
"It’s a complex problem because you have to put the teams in a position where they don’t have to make those commercial decisions, they just make the decision based on the strongest drivers they can find."
