Toto Wolff says the current Formula 1 grid penalty system looks ‘ridiculoꦿus’ and🦋 wants rule changes but isn’t hopeful of seeing any changes in the immediate future.

The Mercedes team principal saw h𓆉is own driver Valtteri Bottas pick up a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change but vented his frustration at ꧃the engine penalties which he believes must inspire a rule change to stop F1 becoming a joke.

Fernando Alonso has been given a 35-place grid drop for the Japanese Grand Prix for using ove💃r the exceeded number of engine parts, the Spanish driver has notched up 140 grid place penalties for McLaren-Honda in 2017 so far, while Carlos Sainz and Jolyon Palmer are also starting from the back having been handed 20-place grid penalties respectively.

“I am not a fan of driver penalties, they look ridiculﷺous,” Wolff said. “Here a McLaren going back 35 places feels odd.

“We have to think if we can come up with a system that penalises the driver less but still ke🀅eps an emphasis on not making the cost escalate – we don’t want to bring a new power unit to every race just because the penalty is not a sporting penalty.”

Despite Wolff’s calls for 🐲change, which is supported by many F1 team bosses and drivers, he isn’t optimistic for change having seen the issue stick around for a number of years.

“I’ve been☂ here since 2009 and we’ve been ♒talking about the same things all the time.”