McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has called for a ban on non-unusual ownership in Formula 1 in a thinly veiled attack on Red Bull.
In an open letter published Thursday night, Brown called for remedying the “unhealthy situation. “Although he didn’t mention Red Bull or sister team AlphaTauri in his name, they are the only two F1 groups to have a percentage ownership.
“There is an opportunity to improve some of the other processes in Formula 1 to strengthen the values of fairness and competition,” he wrote. “As we look ahead to negotiating the next Concorde Agreement to unite the governing body with the teams and commercial rights holders, we should prioritise some of those rules that currently impact the impartiality between competitors.
“For example, most other primary sports prohibit ownership of two teams within the same league because of the apparent harm this causes to the competition. This is a bad scenario as it affects decisions made on and off the track.
“Whether it’s having more data, sharing components/staff, or influencing strategic votes, it’s not in the spirit of regulation. It is vital to protect independence, festivity, and fairness.
“I would like to see adjustments in regulations to ensure that in the long term they prevent influence from spreading from one team to another through strategic alliances and especially through ownership. Formula 1 has to be true to its logo and both teams, with the exception of the powertrains, must be absolutely independent of each other.
“I believe that Formula 1 enthusiasts have universally fairness at festivals and on a points playing field, and I would reject any action that undermines the true spirit of the festival within Formula 1. Partial data sharing, shared ownership models and strategic alliances within the sports fabric. Formula 1’s bid will only serve to undermine enthusiasts’ confidence in a fair and fierce festival. “
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Brown’s letter comes as Red Bull work to strengthen ties with their sister team, which has struggled in recent years. The defending champions have already made it clear they will be sharing as much resource as the current regulations allow with AlphaTauri, in a bid to make the outfit more competitive and profitable.
Team principal Christian Horner insists they will abide by the letter of the law, and there has been no indication of wrongdoing by the FIA or any other body. But, even before writing his open letter, Brown, one of the main warring camps of the concept of joint ownership in F1 and said he had “major concerns” about the partnership between the two Red Bull-owned teams.
“I still think the game still has a long way to go to ensure that everyone is truly independent,” the American told Motorgame. com. “They’re doing everything they can to gain advantages by having two teams. I get it because that’s what the regulations say. But I think we want to take a look at the governance of the game around technical partnerships. “
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