McLaren CEO Zak Brown has encouraged Formula 1 and the FIA to investigate the “serious issue” of Red Bull and AlphaTauri’s shared ownership, considering it to be against “the fairness of the sport”.
With AlphaTauri having endured a torrid start to the previous season, it was revealed that the team would capitalise on forging a closer technical alliance with champions Red Bull.
Along with utilising more components from Red Bull – including the rear suspension it adopted last year – the yet-to-be-rebranded squad will expand its presence in the United Kingdom by moving its aero department to a facility in Milton Keynes, where the parent company’s title-winning operation is based.
Amid rising concerns over the collaboration between the Austrian outfit’s two teams, the FIA issued clarification that it has stringent tests in place to monitor the matter regularly.
However, Brown has repeatedly voiced concerns over the partnership and he believes that the matter has now reached a point where it requires immediate scrutiny.
“The thing I would like to see us as a sport focus is where we sit on the regulation side [regarding] the A/B team co-ownership,” Brown said at McLaren’s 2024 livery launch.
“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.”
AlphaTauri’s late development push perturbed its rivals, with McLaren team boss Andrea Stella stressing that the AT04 had become the fastest car in slow-speed turns.
Red Bull admitted to ceasing work on the RB19 early, prompting Brown to question whether it had gained an advantage from the sister side’s relentless performance pursuit.
The American, 52, believes that the regulation permitting Red Bull to own two F1 set-ups has become outdated since the introduction of a cost cap to limit spending.
“AlphaTauri is, from what I understand, moving to the UK, which I think will benefit both teams,” he explained.
“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 [regulations] 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.”
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