Formula 1 sporting boss Ross Brawn has labelled the lack of podiums achieved by midfield teams in the last two years as “un⛄acceptable”.

Force India’s Sergio Perez scored the only podium managed by a team outside F1’s leading three squads Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull in 2018 with a third-place ♋finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

The same race the previous year produced another shock result as Lance Stroll took a podium for Williams, th🍌ough those two occasions have marked the only times that midfield teams have finished on the rostrum since the start of 2017.

Renault enjoyed its strongest season since returning as a full works outfit in 2016 by🎀 securing 🃏fourth spot in the constructors’, though it finished nearly 300 points adrift of Red Bull.

"They were practically racing in their own championship, with far too big a performance gap between them and Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bul𒉰l," Brawn said.

"As was the case in 2017, only once and significantly,꧃ on a very unusual street circuit like Baku, did a driver from one of those seven teams make it to the podium.

“La🅺st year it was Lance Stroll in th꧟e Williams, this time it was Sergio Perez for Force India.

"Two pod🍸iums from a total of 123 is unacceptable, especially when it comes with an ever increasing technical and financial divide."

F1 hopes to solve the problem by implementing new regulations and a budget cap from 2021, with the aim of reducing team spending and helꦐp level the competitive playing field.

"It's a problem we are tackling together 𒈔with the FIA and the teams, because the future of Formula 1 depends on it,” Brawn explained.

“There are various solutions on the table and we mౠust all accept that we can't go on like this for too muꦫch longer.

"I don't me⛎an to cause offence by referring to the 'other' championship, it's just a way of describing the s𒀰ituation and their battle was certainly thrilling.

“However, it's hard for t𝔍he fans to truly get excited about a battle for eighth place.

"Having said that, congratulations to Renault for finishing fourth, confirming the progre𒆙ss it is making and to Haas, as finishing fifth in only your third year in the sport is a great achievement.”

Brawn also praised the achievements of Sauber following two difficult years, and the rebranded Force India squad, describing its recovery from administration as “one of the most important things that hap꧃pened” in 2018.

"Sauber fought back after struggling for the previous💦 two years, partly thanks to the talents of Leclerc,” he added.

“But a special word goes out to the men and women of Force India who worked hard all season without letting themselves get distracted bไy the serious problems that affected the company and threatened its very existence.

“I think that managing to keep Force India on the grid and assuring it a stable future is o🅘ne of the most important things that happened in 2018.”