F1 near future, a clear 2 tier series?

[rgava]

I've heard/read several times that a two tier series is not what F1 is about.
Specially when discussions about customer cars is raised.
But, IMO, current status has de facto converted F1 in a clear 2 tier series whitout need of customer cars.
Having 4 engine manufacturers, each running a factory team; any other team couldn't expect to challenge the factory team with their PU.
What do you think about this?

[ScottB]

I wouldn't say it's that different from how it's been for years. Though it's fair to say a Red Bull Ferrari could well beat a works Ferrari if they had engine parity.

It's not so much different tiers, as better funded teams v smaller ones, which is how it's always been. The current importance of engine will fade as the manufacturers converge on the optimum and development gets restricted in any case.

[rgava]

I wouldn't say it's that different from how it's been for years. Though it's fair to say a Red Bull Ferrari could well beat a works Ferrari if they had engine parity.

In your statemet, the key is "if they had engine parity".
What is not the case.
It's clear Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault & Honda will not supply a customer team that can can be a threat beating them on the same PU on the near future.

As you state after, once engine parity is achieved through years of development there will not be like this.

My point is the ambiguity of some key F1 decision makers saying that a two tire formula is not what F1 is about on its genes and the fact that on the next years there is a de facto two tiers were a well founded and well structures team cannot compete with its PU supplier works team.