Seidl says 2021 regulations will be the make or break of F1

Seidl joined McLaren this season, and the British team have seen a huge upturn in form compared to the back end of last season.

With the impressive driver pairing of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, the team are dominating the midfield on 60 points, 21 ahead of closest rivals Renault.

However, despite the improvements, Seidl does not expect McLaren to compete at the top unless big changes are made.

He told France's Auto Hebdo: "We may not have the budget of the three big teams, but it is substantial. As an organisation, we are not at the level that we should be."

Seidl went on to add that F1's budgets have changed so much since he was last in the sport, back in 2009, and that F1 needs a huge revamp.

He added: "It's still an incredible platform. From this perspective, it has not changed since 2009 when I left.

"The only difference is that the budgets have exploded and the gap between the three top teams and the rest of the field is no longer sustainable.

"Now, for a team like ours to be competitive, we would have to invest so much money that it would jeopardise our very existence.

"I know every competitor has its agenda, but we need strong governance. The 2021 regulations will weigh extremely heavily on the future of the sport."