Zak Brown takes FIA fight over Mercedes-Alpine F1 talks public

The McLaren Racing CEO has taken a clear stance against the prospect of Mercedes acquiring a shareholding in a second Formula 1 team. While the position of Racing Bulls has been tolerated due to a structure that dates back two decades, Brown believes this model should not be allowed to spread over the medium to long term.

Zak Brown has reportedly sent a six-page letter to Mohammed Ben Sulayem outlining his concerns over common ownership of multiple teams competing in the Formula One World Championship. The issue is not new, but it has returned to the spotlight in recent weeks following reports that Mercedes is interested in acquiring the 24 percent minority stake in Alpine that investment fund Otro Capital is understood to be preparing to sell.

The McLaren Racing chief executive has put in writing a position he has voiced on several occasions, reiterating his concerns about alliances between teams that share a common shareholder.

During a recent press conference at the McLaren Technology Centre, Brown cited specific examples, including the absence of gardening leave restrictions between teams under the same ownership structure, such as Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Formula 1 has accepted the existence of Red Bull's satellite team for many years, but that arrangement was created in a very different era. The deal that led to the creation of Scuderia Toro Rosso dates back more than 20 years.

Brown's warning is primarily aimed at preventing this model from becoming more widespread over the medium to long term. Speaking during the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Mohammed Ben Sulayem also acknowledged the need to regulate an issue that is not currently addressed by specific rules.

The prospect of Mercedes acquiring a stake in Alpine F1 has raised concerns among those who fear the advantages that could stem from the direct or indirect control of a second team.

In addition to the gardening leave issue, Brown highlighted several other sensitive areas, including potential on-track assistance — citing Daniel Ricciardo's fastest lap at the Singapore Grand Prix in 2024 — sporting integrity in meetings where regulatory matters are discussed, and the sharing of resources. The picture Brown paints is of a Formula 1 landscape in which teams without strategic alliances could find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.

Looking at other sports, the debate is far from unprecedented. In Europe's leading football leagues, as well as in the major professional sports leagues in the United States, regulations explicitly prohibit ownership stakes in multiple teams.

Formula 1 has yet to address the issue in a comprehensive way, but the time now appears ripe to do so in order to prevent potentially controversial situations and the inevitable disputes they would generate.