“I believe it’s a serious issue for the fairness of the sport" - McLaren boss questions Red Bull/AlphaTauri co-ownership in F1

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has questioned AlphaTauri and Red Bull’s co-ownership after the junior team announced their move to Milton Keynes in the UK. Speaking at the MCL38 livery launch, the American was vocal about the conflict of interest between both the teams and its effect on the parity in competition as both will be working closely in 2024.

In 2023, AlphaTauri unveiled its plans to work in unison with its senior team, Red Bull Racing. In January 2024, the team announced their move from Bicester to the Milton Keynes campus, along with a majority of their Faenza crew moving to the UK.

The Red Bull-owned junior team, which has often been a grooming ground for the Red Bull driver development program, was often far down the grid in performance compared to its sister team. In 2022, the McLaren CEO had spoken up about the A team and B team scenarios across the field in his annual season-opening message, but this time he was more specific.

The McLaren boss felt that given the cost cap era in the sport, such a relationship between both sister teams could lead to an unfair advantage, given that their aerodynamic departments will be working closely. Brown felt that the sport needs to regulate such work dynamics for the sake of parity in competition across the grid.

Expressing his views on the parity in competition, Brown said:

“The thing I would like to see us as a sport focus is where we sit on the regulation side [with] the A/B team co-ownership. I believe it’s a serious issue for the fairness of the sport, for the fans. That’s why it’s pretty much not allowed in any other form of major sport. I’d like to see us, as an industry, focus on that before it gets to a level of being where Formula 1 once was, which is very out of balance because people are playing by the rules, but a different set of rules.”

Specifically citing Red Bull and AlphaTauri, Brown added:

“AlphaTauri is, from what I understand, moving to the UK, which I think will benefit both teams. So this A/B team and co-ownership, which is a whole other level of A/B team, is a big concern to ours for the health of the sport, and the fairness of the sport. When these [team co-operation rules] were put in place, the sport was in a different place.

"We had a huge gap between people like ourselves, who had huge budgets, and smaller teams. Now everybody's pretty much at the cap, if not at the cap. So I think everyone's playing with the same size of bat, to use a baseball term, and therefore that's not necessary. But it might give someone an unfair advantage, and I think that's something we need to tackle with the sport quickly.”

With a shift in the Red Bull ownership after the passing of its owner Dietrich Mateschitz, the new management decided that the junior team AlphaTauri was to work more closely with Red Bull. While the Faenza-based team had a UK headquarters in Bicester, its lease ending propelled the move to Milton Keynes, as explained by their CEO, Peter Bayer.

The decision to work more closely with Red Bull was a result of the gap in performance between both teams. While the Milton Keynes squad has dominated in three seasons, the Faenza outfit has barely managed sixth place (2021) as their highest finish in the Constructors' Championship.

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McLaren boss believes FIA and Formula 1 need to operate in unison with each other

McLaren CEO Zak Brown feels F1 and its regulatory body FIA need to work with each other and improve their relationship for the benefit of the sport. With respect to the Toto Wolff and Susie Wolff situation in recent times, the American denied McLaren being a part of the controversy.

Brown felt teams were diplomatic about their stance on Wolff being the CEO of the F1 academy. However, he denied him or his team having concerns with her leadership.

Commenting on the recent events of the F1, FIA, and the Wolff saga, the McLaren team boss said:

“As far as the FIA and Formula 1 [leadership is concerned], we just would like to see that relationship progress in a more unified way. I think they both want to do what’s best for the sport, which is a great place to be centered.

"We’ve not heard anything since. We had never, ever officially or unofficially – because I see some people have chosen their words carefully – we never spoke with anyone at all about the Toto/Susie situation. We’re a big supporter of the F1 Academy and we’re excited to be part of it. I’ve known Susie a long time, she’s very high integrity. So, we have no concerns.”

The McLaren CEO’s comments on FIA and F1 are a result of the speculation concerning the rift between the two bodies of the sport. The growing rift between the two has been a cause of concern for the future of the sport.

The FIA has recently had more than three senior personnel resigning from their posts as a result of the organizational chaos within. Its actions and statements in recent times have added fuel to speculation regarding the rift between the two factions.