The controversy over ownership structures between teams has returned to the center of discussions in Formula 1 after Zak Brown sent a letter to the FIA questioning alliances within the grid. Laurent Mekies, head of Red Bull Racing, responded to the criticisms and stated that the team supports any measure that guarantees total independence among the eleven teams in the category.
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The CEO of McLaren raised concerns about the control of Red Bull GmbH over both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. The debate gained even more strength amid speculations that Mercedes could acquire a 24% stake in Alpine, currently controlled by Renault.
In the letter sent to the FIA, Brown pointed out situations where the relationship between the Red Bull teams would have benefited the main team on the track. One of the examples cited was the Miami GP, when Liam Lawson facilitated Max Verstappen’s overtaking during the race. The McLaren CEO also criticized the ease of movement of employees between the two teams without mandatory cooling-off periods, as is customary in the category.
“We need to eliminate new alliances, whether by ownership, strategic participation, or any other equivalent form of control or influence, and we need to work quickly to undo those already established, to ensure that the future integrity of the sport is not compromised,” Brown said.
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Before the Canadian GP, McLaren boss Andrea Stella reinforced the British team’s stance. Stella stated that the principles mentioned by Brown must be ‘fully applied’ and highlighted that there are still practical points that need to be discussed within Formula 1: “We are happy with how this is being received,” said the Italian.
Mekies responded to the questions during the press conference in Montreal, alongside Alan Permane, head of Racing Bulls. According to the French executive, Formula 1 has already taken several steps in recent years to increase independence among teams: “If any stakeholder feels that more measures are necessary to ensure eleven teams racing independently, we would support that,” he said.
The head of Red Bull Racing also argued that the debate goes beyond ownership or strategic supply between teams. Mekies highlighted that there are different types of collaboration in the paddock, including power unit, gearbox, and suspension supply: “We are fully in favor of any new step to ensure that, regardless of our strategic partnership or ownership structure, we race independently on the track. We feel that this already happens today,” he added.
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