The Briton also told Sky Sports television
after a teleconference with teams and the governing FIA that a
much fairer prize fund would feature in a new commercial
agreement due by the end of this year.
"The budget cap initial objectives were a more competitive field
and I think with the situation we have now the sustainability,
the economic sustainability, of Formula One is a priority," said
Brawn.
"That counts as much for the big teams as it does for the small
teams."
Formula One's season has yet to start, with the first 10 races
postponed or cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A major rewrite of the technical regulations has been delayed to
2022, with teams carrying over this year's cars to 2021.
The budget cap had been set initially at $175 million but some
teams had wanted a more drastic limit closer to $100 million to
ensure the sport survives the crisis.
Ferrari, the oldest and most successful constructor, had opposed
any reduction below $145 million.
The cap does not include drivers' salaries, with Britain's six
times world champion Lewis Hamilton on an estimated $35 million
a year at Mercedes.
"The message is clear we've got to cut costs," said Brawn.
"We started at $175 (million), that was a long battle to get it
there, and with the current crisis we are now going to start at
145 and the discussion really is how much further down we can
drive the next few years."
Brawn said the new-look cars would definitely be coming for
2022, despite some teams pushing for another year's delay.
"Initiatives we are bringing with these new regulations are to
make the sport more economically viable in terms of the
complexity," he said.
"The cars we have now are so complex that the more you spend,
the quicker you will go. We need to level off that slope and
create a situation where money is not the only criteria for how
competitive you'll be."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris)
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