Red Bull chief technical officer Adrian Newey has expressed his dismay over the dominant nature of engines in Formula 1 at the moment, believing it to be "unhealthy" for the series.
Red Bull ailed to its worst season in seven years in 2015 as issues with Renault's power unit prevented the team from putting up a fight to Mercedes and Ferrari.
Mercedes has reigned supreme at the front of the F1 field since the technical regulations were overhauled for the 2014 season largely thanks to its power unit.
Speaking to Indian newspaper The Hindu, Newey said that he believes the disparity between the engines in F1 at the moment is unhealthy for the sport.
"It is important to find the right balance between the chassis, engine and the driver for the sport to be competitive, but right now the engine is dominating, which is unhealthy," Newey said.
"Cosworth came with a winning engine in 1967 that was exclusively for use by the Lotus team. It became very clear that the engine was going to be dominant.
“Then, Lotus agreed to waive its exclusivity to allow others to use it for the good of the sport. Unfortunately, that sort of attitude doesn’t seem to exist any more. If the sport is not healthy, what’s the point in winning?”
Red Bull's recent struggles follow a spell of dominance in F1 that yielded four drivers' championships and four constructors' titles between 2010 and 2013.
However, Newey believes that the advantage enjoyed by Mercedes at the moment is far greater than Red Bull's ever was and of a different nature.
"Though we managed to win four titles, in 2010 and 2012 the battle went down until the last race," Newey said.
"Secondly with aero and chassis it is out on view, people can see designs, understand and copy. But with the engine formula you can’t see your competitor’s engine.
"The only way to catch up is with huge investments and people moving. Ferrari improved from 2014 to 2015 but it cost a lot and needed people from Mercedes."
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