Formula 1 is “in a very fragile state” as a result of the coronavirus crisis and needs big changes to survive, McLaren boss Zak Brown says.
“This is potentially devastating to teams, and if [it is devastating] to enough teams – which doesn’t have to mean more than two – then very threatening to F1 as a whole,” he said.
Cost-saving plans will be discussed at a meeting of F1 bosses on Monday. But the teams are divided over how best to safeguard the sport.
Brown, speaking in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport, believes the $175m (£143m) budget cap, scheduled to come into force in 2021, needs to be lowered significantly, or the sport risks a potential disaster.
“Could I see – through what is going on right now in the world if we don’t tackle this situation head on very aggressively – two teams disappearing? Yeah,” said Brown, the chief executive officer of McLaren Racing.
“In fact, I could see four teams disappearing if this isn’t handled the right way.”
