A billion-dollar offer for Racing Bulls stirred the Formula 1 backstage this weekend. According to The Times newspaper, Red Bull Racing rejected a $3 billion proposal, backed by funds based in Abu Dhabi, to sell its second team in the category.
Read more F1: Red Bull close to hiring head of Mercedes development program
The negotiation was reportedly led by Dean Attew, former Bernie Ecclestone investigator, in partnership with financier Andrew Harriott. The initiative reinforces the interest that established Formula 1 (FOM) structures continue to attract among international investors.
According to the publication, Attew was previously involved in an attempt to buy the Formula One Group itself alongside the CVC Capital fund. On that occasion, however, the company ended up selling its stake to Liberty Media in 2016.
Currently, Red Bull’s two-team model is unique on the Formula 1 grid. Racing Bulls plays an important role in developing young drivers before a possible promotion to the main team, a path already taken by names like Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar.
This format, however, has recently been questioned. McLaren CEO Zak Brown sent a letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressing concern about the impact of this type of structure on the category’s competitiveness.
Read more F2: Rafa Câmara dominates race at Spa with pole, victory and fastest lap
Brown wrote: “There is a real concern that the category risks taking a step backward in terms of integrity and fairness, precisely when the regulations were developed, with significant collective effort, to move in the opposite direction.”
“Except when it comes to power units, which not everyone manufactures, teams should operate completely independently to ensure total fairness. In technical, financial, or governance matters, alliances have the potential to obscure things,” he added.
Brown concluded by highlighting the importance of competitive equality in the category: “At the end of the day, I believe you, the fans, want to know that the twenty-two drivers are competing against each other with the same intensity and that the same rules apply to the eleven teams. Liberty and the FIA have done an exceptional job growing our sport, we are thriving, so I am confident this is an area we will focus on and resolve,” he finished.
Read more F1 today? See the schedule and where to watch the 2026 Belgian GP
