Zak Brown’s Concerns Over Team Ownership in F1
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has consistently voiced his concerns about the implications of a single organization owning multiple teams in Formula 1. His criticisms have often been directed at Red Bull Racing and its affiliated satellite team, Racing Bulls, which are both under the umbrella of Red Bull GmbH. Brown has raised questions about the potential for certain rules and practices to be overlooked when teams operate under such ownership structures.
Recent reports suggest that Brown is not alone in his concerns. Following a letter he sent to the FIA this month—though it did not explicitly name any team—Brown condemned the practice of shared ownership. This letter prompted responses from key figures within the Red Bull teams.
Red Bull Teams Respond to Criticisms
During a press conference attended by team bosses at the Canadian Grand Prix, Laurent Mekies, the head of Red Bull Racing, expressed openness to taking further steps to ensure that teams race more independently on the track without relying on (or misusing) synergies.
“We all want 11 teams racing independently on track, and we have made many steps as a sport in recent weeks, in recent months, in recent years, to try to ensure more and more independence from every team racing on track,” Mekies stated, according to PlanetF1.
He added, “If any stakeholders, let it be another team or anyone else, would feel that more steps are needed to ensure 11 teams racing independently, we would support.”
Meanwhile, Racing Bulls’ Alan Permane defended the team’s relationship with Red Bull Racing, emphasizing that while there are benefits from their collaboration, they strictly adhere to the rules and maintain integrity.
“Our relationship with Red Bull Racing is very much a customer-supplier relationship,” Permane explained. “We take some suspension from them, we take the gearbox from them, and various other components that are allowed under the technical regulations, which we follow very rigorously.”
Permane also referenced his previous experience with Alpine, where the team operated without external assistance, with Renault constructing its engines in-house.
“I have to say, having worked at a team where we don’t have that relationship at all, and now at a team where we do have it, a lot of work goes into ensuring that we are respecting those rules,” he said.
What Was Zak Brown’s Letter About?
Between the Miami GP and the Canadian GP, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown wrote a detailed letter to the FIA President, urging changes to the rules surrounding common team ownership. This move came after reports surfaced about Mercedes’ interest in acquiring a stake in the Alpine team.
Rather than directly targeting any specific organization, Brown aimed to initiate a dialogue with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem to address these systemic issues.
His concerns extend beyond just engine supply agreements, such as Mercedes supplying power units to multiple teams like Mercedes and Alpine. He believes that such arrangements can lead to shared interests across teams and greater influence in F1 decision-making.
An excerpt from his letter highlighted his stance:
“A/B teams, co-ownership, regardless of who it is, I frown upon it. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. I think A/B teams, we need to get away from as much as possible, as quickly as possible.”
