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Is MotoGP stealing F1's thunder?

Cape Town - Helmut Marko has acknowledged that Formula 1 is coming under threat by its two-wheeled equivalent when it comes to being the best form of top motor racing.

As he this week ruled out returning to F1, Flavio Briatore, insisted: "The 'show' of racing has gone to MotoGP."

Read: Binder wins first GP for SA since 1981

Unpredictability of MotoGP

Marko, the head of Red Bull's driver programme, does not disagree.

"With MotoGP we can see that the most important thing is the rider, who stands clearly in the foreground," he told the Austrian newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung.

'Will win qualifying'

Marko added: "There is also a more balanced situation there with the top three manufacturers, with four riders always able to win. So it is never clearly recognisable who will win qualifying or the race.

"MotoGP is also closer to the fans, and the tickets are 50% cheaper. All this contributes to the boost they have at the moment."

A photo posted by MotoGP (@motogp) on

F1 closing the gap

But F1 is making key changes for the future, even though the revised chassis and engine rules for 2017 and beyond were hotly contested.

READ: HAMILTON BLASTS 'BROKEN F1'

Marko said: "As usual, what we have is a compromise, but at least there is a change on the chassis side."

He concluded: "With the engines, a so-called (performance) convergence method is being introduced, so we will have to see if it really achieves a more balanced competition."

A photo posted by FORMULA 1® (@f1) on

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