Karun Chandok believes the "gulf" between Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda makes it virtually impossible for Red Bull to trust the information the pair provide over an F1 weekend.
The former Hispania and Lotus driver feels the Milton Keynes-based squad is "hamstrung" by the disparity between the pair, something he cautions could cause the team to "fall behind" next season.
Red Bull struggled to get Max Verstappen's RB21 set up correctly at the São Paulo Grand Prix, needing two further bites at the cherry after only the one practice session, on account of the round in Brazil being a sprint event.
It ultimately led to the Dutchman starting the full-distance race from the pit lane, equipped with a new power unit and, for the first time all weekend, a car he could fully utilise.
He charged through the field, taking third place and a seventh-consecutive trip to the podium.
However, Lando Norris triumphing for McLaren leaves the four-time F1 drivers' championship 49 points adrift in the fight for his fifth crown, with only 83 left available.
With only three rounds to run, the 28-year-old faces a virtually impossible task, and Chandhok argued the lack of support from the other side of the garage is, and will continue to, hold him back.
"I get the sense this is where they're [Red Bull] hamstrung by the fact they're a one-car team," the 41-year-old said on Sky Sports F1.
"Because if you came to a weekend like Brazil, where you only have one practice session, and you got a few options in terms of packages and setups and updates to try, if you are two equal drivers, as McLaren do, you could put one on one car, one on the other car, and you can compare the data.
"The problem is, when there's such a gulf between the two drivers, as Red Bull have got, they can't really trust whether the information is the driver or the car that's creating this gap."
Since Tsunoda stepped into the RB21 two rounds into the season, he has scored just 25 points and has been routinely outclassed by Verstappen, who has taken 305 points over that 19-round stint.
Chandhok pointed out how the unequal situation between the two drivers could instigate further headaches for the six-time constructors' champions next year, when F1 overhauls the power unit and chassis regulations.
With the upgrade battle expected to be fast-paced and critical, he pointed out that Red Bull find itself struggling to keep up.
"So this is where it's really creating an issue for them, and I think it's something to think about going forward," Chandhok added.
"Next year, new rules, they're going to bring updates all the time. They need two drivers; otherwise, their development will fall behind."
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