Sergio Perez in action for Force India
Formula One - F1 - Japanese Grand Prix 2015 - Suzuka Circuit, Japan - 25/9/15 Sergio Perez of Force India in action during practice Reuters / Hoch Zwei

F1 is set to be investigated by the European Commission after Force India and Sauber both filed an official complaint over the sport’s management practices and revenue sharing system.

The two mid-table teams have been vocal dissenters of the sport’s Strategy Group which comprises of Ferrari, Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, who all take their place for ‘historic contributions’ while a sixth team deemed best of the rest from the previous year’s championship also joins them.

Force India has always been critical of the group, even claiming in 2013 that the group was illegal. The Strategy Group came into being as a replacement for the previous sporting and technical groups of the sport.

"All teams basically pay the same amount to go racing. The only differentials are in drivers' salaries and hospitality. And yet some teams have no say in how the sport is run. It could certainly be deemed abuse of a dominant position. There is genuine concern among some of the teams on the Strategy Group, particularly the ones who are public companies. This is not ethical governance,” Force India’s deputy principal Bob Fernley told the Daily Telegraph in 2013.

Under F1’s current practise, the five historic teams get a much larger share of the annual revenues from broadcasting and other sources, irrespective of where they actually finish in the standings. For example, Ferrari earned only $67 million (AU $93.8 million) for finishing fourth in the 2014 constructors’ championships, but also received a massive $97 million (AU $136 million) premium payout. Mercedes won the championships but stood only third, with $126 million (AU $176.4 million), while Red Bull received $156 million (AU $214 million) as they finished second in the championships. McLaren finished fifth in the championships but still made more than fourth placed Williams, with the two teams getting $98 million (AU $137 million) and $83 million (AU $116 million) respectively. Force India finished sixth and received only $60 million (AU $84 million), highlighting the differences in the way the revenues are distributed in the sport.

The issue was first highlighted by British MP Anneliese Dodds, in whose constituency both Marussia and Caterham were located and went bankrupt. Although she wrote to the EU competition commissioner about her concerns regarding the sport’s governance, action could be taken only if any of the teams themselves complained, which Force India and Sauber have now done.

"Sahara Force India is one of two teams to have registered a complaint with the European Union questioning the governance of Formula One and showing that the system of dividing revenues and determining how Formula One's rules are set is both unfair and unlawful. Due to the ongoing legal discussions, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time," the Force India team announced in a press release.