Formula 1 sporting boss Ross Brawn has labelled the lack of podiums achieved b✤y midfield teams in the last two years as “unacceptable”.

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 P🥀rix.

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

Renau🎉lt 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 poi🍨nts 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 Bull," Br൩awn said.

"As was the cas♐e in 2017, only once and significantly, on a very unusual street circuit like Baku, did a driver fro🌌m one of those seven teams make it to the podium.

“Last year it was Lance Stroll in the Williams, this time it was Serg⛦io Perez for Force India.

"Two podiums from a total of 123 is unacceptable, especially when it comes with an ever increasing techni♊cal and financial 🌺divide."

F1 hopes to s𒁃olve the problem by implementing new regulations and a budget cap from 2021, with the aim of reducing t꧒eam spending and help level the competitive playing field.

"It's a problem we are tackling together💯 with the FIA and the teams, because the future o🍌f Formula 1 depends on it,” Brawn explained.

“There are various solutions on the table and we must a☂ll accept that we can't go on like this for too much longer.

"I don't mean to cause offꦫence by referring to the 'other' ꩲchampionship, 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 abౠout a battle for eighth๊ place.

"Having said that, congratulations to Renault for finishing fou♈rth, confirming 🌱the progress 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 year𒁏s, and the rebranded Force India squad, describing its recovery from administration as “one of the most important things that happened” in 2018.

"Sauber fought back after st𓄧ruggling 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 s💞eason without letting themselves get distractꦓed by 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 one of the most im💜portant things that happened in 2018.”