LONDON: The top three teams’ domination of the Formula One podium over the past two seasons is unacceptable and has to change, the sport’s managing director Ross Brawn said.
Force India’s Sergio Perez was the only driver outside Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull to finish a Grand Prix in the top three in this year’s 21 races, the Mexican ending up third in Azerbaijan in April.
Canadian Lance Stroll, for Williams, was in the same position at the same Baku circuit in 2017, when the season had 20 races.
“Two podiums from a total of 123 is unacceptable, especially when it comes with an ever increasing technical and financial divide,” Brawn said in a Formula One season review after last Sunday’s closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“It’s a problem we are tackling together with the (governing) FIA and the teams, because the future of Formula One depends on it,” added the Briton, who was previously a technical director of Ferrari and principal of Mercedes.
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are also the only teams to have won a Formula One race since the current V6 turbo hybrid engines were introduced in 2014.
Sunday was the 100th Grand Prix of that era and Lewis Hamilton, now a five times world champion, has won 51 of them for Mercedes. Hamilton also won 11 races this year, leading 458 of the season’s 1,264 laps.
German driver Nico Hulkenberg, who races for the Renault works team and was ‘best of the rest’ in seventh place overall this year, has now started 156 Grands Prix without once standing on the podium.
Brawn said seven of the 10 teams were effectively racing in their own championship.
“There are various solutions on the table and we must all accept that we can’t go on like this for too much longer,” said Brawn.
“I don’t mean to cause offense by referring to the ‘other’ championship, it’s just a way of describing the situation and their battle was certainly thrilling. However, it’s hard for the fans to truly get excited about a battle for eighth place.”
The top three places in the constructors’ championship were decided before the season-ender, with Mercedes winning both titles for the fifth year in a row.
The rules are being tweaked for 2019, with aerodynamic changes aimed at making it easier for drivers to follow cars and battle on track, ahead of a more substantial overhaul planned for 2021.
The top teams are already working hard to limit the impact on performance, however, and have far bigger budgets to play with than the smaller teams.
“The downforce is basically being set back by a year or more, and we have to compensate,” Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said at the weekend.
“But there is a bunch of really, really clever people who are looking at the regulations and trying to find ways of having a lot of downforce on the car and I’m curious to see whether those cars are really going to be slower next year or not.”
Formula One needs more competition or face losing the battle for more fans, says Ross Brawn
Formula One needs more competition or face losing the battle for more fans, says Ross Brawn
- F1 managing director Brawn this out at dominance of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
- Briton claims future of the sport is at stake if it does not increase competition.
Smash GC announces 2026 LIV Golf roster as Harold Varner III joins lineup
- Talor Gooch-led team returns with lineup built for depth and competitiveness as LIV Golf kicks off new season in Riyadh
NEW YORK: Smash GC of the LIV Golf League today announced its official roster for the 2026 season with the addition of Harold Varner III. Varner joins newly minted captain Talor Gooch and returning veterans Jason Kokrak and Graeme McDowell.
The team blends winning pedigree, global experience and a competitive edge, reinforcing the team’s identity as one of LIV Golf’s most battle-tested lineups.
Varner, who made his LIV Golf debut in 2022, brings a mix of global experience and personal drive. He earned his first LIV Golf individual win in 2023 at LIV Golf DC after sinking a hole-out from the bunker for a birdie mid-round to claim a one-stroke victory. He joins Smash GC after a steady performance in 2025 with 4Aces GC, when he finished in the top 10 four times.
“Smash GC is a team that competes with confidence and edge,” Varner said. “I’m excited to join a group that believes in what it’s building and is focused on winning. I’m ready to get to work and contribute meaningfully in 2026.”
Gooch will lead Smash GC in 2026 after being officially named captain last December. One of LIV Golf’s most accomplished and consistent performers, he brings a performance-driven mindset and a deep understanding of team competition. He reunites with Varner after the two played together with RangeGoats GC during 2023, which was both Gooch’s and Varner’s most successful LIV Golf season.
In addition to Varner’s DC win, Gooch won three tournaments and the season-long individual championship. Rounding out the 2026 roster are Kokrak, who has delivered key individual and team performances throughout his LIV Golf tenure, and McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion and longtime Ryder Cup standout who brought steady play to the 2025 season combined with his experience, leadership and competitive instincts.
“Adding Harold to Smash GC is a big move for us, and I couldn’t be more excited to reunite with him in 2026,” Gooch said. “He’s proven he can compete at the highest level and, as captain, I’m excited about how he strengthens our lineup and pushes our standards forward. We’re building a team that expects to contend every week, and Harold is a big part of that.”
Smash GC enters the new season following a 2025 campaign defined by resilience and competitiveness. With strong team performances and consistent individual contributions, the club laid a foundation it now aims to build upon under refreshed leadership and a reinforced roster.
