Zak Brown writes FIA letter calling for Formula 1 team ownership rule changes
Originally published by PlanetF1
McLaren’s Zak Brown has written to the FIA, urging a rule change to eliminate the possibility of any future common team ownership structures.
Brown’s communication with the FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem is understood to have called for formal discussions of how to legislate to eliminate common ownership of teams and strategic alliances.
Zak Brown urges FIA discussions over Formula 1 ownership rules
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The McLaren CEO is understood to have written a letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem earlier this week, expressing integrity concerns surrounding common team ownership structures and alliance relationships between ostensibly competing F1 teams.
The letter is not believed to have taken aim at any particular entity currently involved in Formula 1, but the topic of common team ownership is a matter that has returned to prominence in recent months following the reveal of Mercedes’ interest in the purchase of the 24 per cent stake in the Alpine F1 team currently owned by Otro Capital, which would create the perception of the Enstone-based squad becoming a Mercedes ‘satellite’ team should it be successful.
The topic of so-called A/B teams is not a new one, and it’s one Brown has expressed vociferous concerns about in over the last few years, and said recently when asked about the potential Mercedes/Alpine deal that, “It applies to anybody and everybody… A/B teams, co-ownership… regardless of who it is, I frown upon it. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport.
“I think A/B teams, we need to get away from as much as possible, as quickly as possible.”
Alpine’s Flavio Briatore confirmed negotiations between Otro Capital and Mercedes during the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, a move which, if completed, would strengthen the existing links between the teams further, following Alpine becoming a customer team of the Mercedes power unit this season.
However, the drawback of a successful bid could also be seen as having a dilutionary effect on the brand image of Renault and Alpine in the automotive sector, given the perception of giving up on its manufacturer status by turning to Mercedes power after acquiescing in the engine race by shutting down its power unit facility at Viry-Chatillion.
Mercedes’ interest is not the only F1-related potential candidate linked with the Otro Capital stake, with former Red Bull boss Christian Horner also believed to be in the race for the ownership stake as he pursues a return to the F1 grid.
But, while a potential link-up between Mercedes and Alpine has reignited the discussion, it’s not the only example of common ownership: Red Bull owns two teams, with Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls entirely owned by the Austrian drinks giant.
This is a situation that has been “grandfathered” into Formula 1, with Red Bull purchasing the former Minardi squad when the commercial and political landscape of the sport was very different to nowadays.
Brown is understood to have offered several examples of perceived moments of aligned sporting interests, such as drivers from rival teams being able to be deployed to slow down other competitors, as well as incidents of continuous movement of personnel between affiliated teams, such as senior figures like Laurent Mekies starting at Red Bull Racing immediately following a management change made in mid-2025 in the wake of Horner’s firing.
With significant gardening leave periods creating financial and time restrictions on the ease of such moves, the perks offered by way of common ownership could be seen as distinctly advantageous than moves between teams who are not politically or strategically aligned.
Brown is understood to have addressed several areas of concern related to common ownership and alliance-based relationships, such as sporting, financial and technical integrity pertaining to the various regulatory rulebooks, as well as the overall governance of the sport.
The letter to Ben Sulayem is believed to have outlined Brown’s belief that sporting integrity is not being further compromised by the current model, particularly with the potential for the situation to be exacerbated by a potential Mercedes stake in Alpine.
To that end, Brown is said to have called for the prohibition of any future co-ownership arrangements, and begin exploring ways to start more tightly regulating existing alliances in order to eliminate A/B team dynamics.
This also includes the assertion that the sport would be taking a step back on integrity and fairness if the situation remains as it is, and suggests that each team must compete on an equal footing to all 10 of its rivals.
Speaking to Sky Sports News last month, Brown said, “I think it runs a high risk of compromising the sporting integrity of the sport.
“We have seen fastest laps from one team, Daniel Ricciardo [when driving for Racing Bulls] take a point away from McLaren to help Max [Verstappen] and Red Bull [at the 2024 Singapore GP].
“We have seen IP transfer from one team to another. We’ve seen staff move from one team to another overnight where I have to wait until 2028. So they get a sporting advantage there, sometimes that comes with some remuneration – they’re not going to have to write a cheque, so it’s a cost-cap advantage.”
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Speaking to media, including PlanetF1.com, at a recent McLaren media event, Brown said, “Can you imagine a Premier League game and you’ve got two teams owned by the same group? One’s going to get relegated if they lose. The other can afford to lose. That’s what we run the risk of.
“So I think having engine power units as suppliers is as far as it should go.
“And then in my view, all 11 teams should be absolutely as independent as possible.”
Mercedes’ F1 CEO Toto Wolff has denied that there is any intention to turn Alpine into an Mercedes satellite squad, should it be successful in purchasing the Otro Capital stake, saying, “No, we don’t want a junior team,” when asked by France’s l’Equipe for comment on the topic.
As for the FIA, Ben Sulayem himself addressed the issue of A/B teams during a media roundtable during the Miami Grand Prix weekend.
“Who is not interested [in the Otro stake]?” Ben Sulayem said, as per the Times. “Really, everybody is there.
“But, I feel ownership of two teams, as long as it’s for the right reason… and what is the right reason?
“As long as you are not trying to take it because you don’t want others to take it, or also get voting power when it comes to the regulations, then maybe it’s OK.
“But then 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.
“We put our people [to investigate] to see, is it possible? Is it allowed? Is it the right thing?
“There is something called a sporting side. If we lose, honestly, the sporting spirit, I believe that there will not be any more support in [the sport]. So to me, as I said, I’m not with [support of] it 100 per cent.”
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