Racing
© Jake Archibald from London, England
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has sent FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem a six-page letter calling for Formula 1 rule changes to stop future multi-team alliances and unwind existing ones, as the FIA separately investigates whether such structures are compatible with the sport’s fairness.
The flashpoint is not limited to Red Bull’s long-debated relationship with Racing Bulls. The issue has sharpened after reports that Mercedes is interested in buying Otro Capital’s 24% stake in Alpine, a holding bought in 2023 for roughly €200 million and now reported to be worth about €800 million, or around $600 million. With Alpine also set to use Mercedes engines from 2026, the prospect has intensified concern over what Brown sees as an A/B-team model.
Brown said his position was not aimed at one outfit. Speaking at the McLaren factory, he said: “It applies to anybody and everybody. So A/B teams, co-ownership, regardless of who it is, I frown upon it.” He added: “I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. But it’s not personal or towards any one team or individual.”
In the letter, Brown argued that Formula 1’s financial health means common ownership is no longer necessary and warned that the sport risks “taking a step backwards in terms of integrity and fairness” after years of work to build a more equal competitive framework. He called for F1 to “eliminate any further alliances, whether through ownership, strategic participation or any other equivalent form of control or influence,” and said the process should begin quickly to unwind those already in place.
Brown backed that argument with examples he believes show how linked teams can shape competition. He cited Daniel Ricciardo taking fastest lap for Racing Bulls at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, denying McLaren a point while Lando Norris was fighting Max Verstappen for the title. He also pointed to Liam Lawson being asked to move aside for Verstappen in Miami.
He also raised concerns about the movement of people and know-how between associated teams. Brown said McLaren had to wait nine months and pay compensation for Rob Marshall to move from Red Bull in 2024, while Laurent Mekies was able to switch from Racing Bulls to Red Bull as team boss in a matter of days. He also referenced Andrea Landi’s move from Racing Bulls to Red Bull, announced on April 17 and due to take effect on July 1, as further evidence that internal firewalls do not operate as they would between fully independent rivals.
Ben Sulayem has already indicated that the FIA sees the issue as more than a paddock complaint. Speaking at the Miami Grand Prix, the FIA president said: “I do believe that owning two [teams] is not the right way – this is my personal point of view – but we are looking into that because it’s a complicated area.” He added: “We put our people to see, is it possible? Is it allowed? Is it the right thing?”
Ben Sulayem said the sporting implications are central to that review. “If we lose the sporting spirit, I believe that there will not be any more support [from F1 fans],” he said. “So to me, I’m not with it 100%.”
That leaves Brown’s intervention landing at a moment when the FIA is already examining whether Formula 1’s requirement for teams to operate as independent sporting entities can still sit comfortably with ownership links, strategic partnerships and shared influence across the grid.