Williams Technical Director Paddy Lowe puts the disparity between the top three teams and the rest of the grid as a bigger problem for Formula 1 to address than engines.

Over the past week, the topic of engines has been in focus following the unveiling of proposals born from talks between the FIA, F1 bosses and manufacturers to alter the current formula from 2021.

However, Lowe, formerly team boss at Mercedes before switching to the Grove team at the start of the season, believes such changes are pointless if the current gulf in performance and spending between the top teams and the midfield is not closed.

"I think when you look at F1 although there is a lot of discussions about the problems with engines -- it isn't the biggest problem in the sport," he claimed. "It is seen as a problem among the top three teams fighting for the top steps but the biggest problem at the moment is the disparity to the remainder of the teams. It is not a round engine choice.

"If you go look at the race in Austin and the performance split between the top six --- well top five in the end -- and then the rest, it was two different races and that isn't split on engine grounds. I think this is one of the problems in the sport where the [spending] gap is extremely large. We need to find some great wisdom to get through that."

Efforts by the Formula One Group, led by CEO Chase Carey, are being made with a meeting of the rule-making body known as the Strategy Group on Tuesday set to discuss a 2019 budget cap while efforts to equalise the revenue distribution have also been mentioned.

For Lowe, the best solution alongside financial changes would be to maintain stability in the regulations for a sustained period, allowing the midfield teams to close the gap to the front, as they have begun to do barely a year after the current design rules were introduced.

"I think whenever you change regulations you always create opportunity and actually create a divergence whether it is around engines or current limits. What creates convergence is regulation stability," he stated

"The more you leave things alone -- you see that with the engines today as they are a lot closer than they were three years ago. I think the new regulation change has to be done with great care. I find it curious that people place emphasis on new regulations needed to create convergence when it does the opposite."