Multi-ownership in F1: Zak Brown denounces an “unhealthy situation” and attacks Red Bull

We will soon offer a column to Zak Brown in AUTOhebdo ! The boss of Mclaren racing definitely no longer misses an opportunity to put pen to paper when an event or situation upsets him. And lately, it still regularly targets the same team, the one that dominates… Red Bull. A year ago, he had already signed a column on the McLaren website demanding an exemplary sporting sanction for Red Bull, for having exceeded the capped budget.

This time it's the links between Red Bull and Alpha Tauri that attract his attention. The situation is not new, but Red Bull actually owns two teams on the grid: Milton Keynes and Faenza. In recent years, despite their inextricable link, the two entities did not share as much on a technical level as we saw in the mid-2010s. So the grip had loosened on the part of the competitors.

Brown attacks Red Bull-AlphaTauri alliance

But now, Red Bull has seriously thought about reselling AlphaTauri F1 Team this year, the decision was finally made to bring the two entities even closer together, up to the maximum provided by the regulations. Unlike in 2023, for example, the team newly led by Peter Bayer will use the same rear suspension as its big sister Red Bull, in addition to a bunch of other things.

A strong bond which has notably enabled Toro Rosso to win twice in its history with Sebastian Vettel et Pierre Gasly, where his resources alone would probably not have allowed him to do so. In an open letter, Zak Brown therefore urged F1 to follow the loan file, and even called on the regulator to ban teams owned by the same owner, in the name of sporting fairness.

“It’s an unhealthy situation because it impacts decisions made both on and off the trackhe wrote. Whether it's having access to more data, sharing components [or] personnel, or even having influence on a strategic vote, it's not in the spirit of the regulation.

From: Zak
To:You
@ZBrownCEO has penned an open letter to look back on the year and ahead to the future. 💫

- McLaren (@ McLarenF1) December 21, 2023

“It is important to defend independence, competition and fairness, and I would like to see changes to the rules to ensure that in the future they prevent the influence of one team over a "other spreads through strategic alliances and especially through ownership", he added. “Formula 1 must be true to its brand and each team – with the exception of the power units – must be completely independent.”

In his review of the past year, the American clarified that the changes he is seeking must be made in the name of the future of the discipline. “I believe Formula 1 fans universally believe in fairness in competition and equal opportunity, and would reject any action that would compromise the true spirit of competition within Formula 1. information, shared ownership models and strategic alliances within the sporting fabric of Formula 1 will only serve to undermine fans' belief in fair and fierce competition." Something tells us that Christian Horner's response will not lack flavor...

ALSO READ > With Piastri, “Norris is on guard” according to Brown