McLaren's chief executive Zak Brown has once again voiced his long‑standing objections to the practice of multi‑ownership and closely linked partnerships between Formula 1 teams, a topic that has resurfaced following reports that Mercedes is contemplating the purchase of a minority share in Alpine. Brown has been an outspoken opponent of what he labels "A‑B teams" – situations where one outfit enjoys a deeper, often structural, connection with another, either through shared ownership, a technical alliance, or both.
He argues that such relationships can erode the competitive balance that the sport strives to maintain. The issue is not new. Red Bull has owned two teams – Red Bull Racing and its sister outfit, formerly known as Scuderia Toro Rosso and now called Scuderia AlphaTauri – since 2005. Ferrari maintains a long‑standing technical partnership with the American‑based Haas team, providing them with power units and engineering support.
Most recently, it emerged that Mercedes is among a group of potential investors interested in acquiring the 24 percent stake in Alpine that is currently held by Otro Capital, a U.S. investment firm.
Alpine itself is majority‑owned by the Renault Group, while Flavio Briatore, who serves as executive advisor to the Enstone‑based operation, has described the ownership structure in blunt terms: "Usually, in a company, 75 percent makes the decisions and the remaining 25 percent is just a passenger. That is the reality here." Although such arrangements are permissible under the sport's regulations, Brown, whose McLaren cars run on Mercedes power units, insists that his stance applies universally. "Regardless of who is involved, I frown upon it," he said, emphasizing that any cross‑team relationship should be limited to the supply of customer power units and nothing more. Speaking to Sky Sports News, Brown reiterated a sentiment he has held for a decade: "I don't like co‑ownership, I don't like A‑B teams.
It poses a high risk of compromising the sporting integrity of Formula 1." He cited concrete examples to illustrate his concerns. At the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo, driving for the Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri), secured a point that indirectly benefited Max Verstappen and Red Bull, raising questions about the fairness of intra‑group competition. Brown also highlighted the rapid transfer of intellectual property and personnel between affiliated teams, noting that staff can move overnight, effectively bypassing the sport's 2028 personnel freeze and gaining a cost‑cap advantage without the need for a cash outlay. During a McLaren media briefing, Brown drew an analogy with football: "Imagine a Premier League season where two clubs are owned by the same consortium.
If one club gets relegated, the other can simply absorb the loss. That's the danger we face in F1." He argued that the only acceptable level of cooperation should be the provision of engines: "Engine supply is where the line should be drawn.
All eleven teams need to be as independent as possible." Brown said he raised these issues during the most recent Concorde Agreement negotiations, which involve all F1 stakeholders. "I think it's being managed now," he remarked, "but we have seen incidents in the past and we need to eliminate them, not expand them." While he expressed "huge appreciation" for Red Bull's investment in the sport over the past two decades – including the acquisition of the struggling Minardi team in 2005 to create a second outfit – he cautioned against using that model as a template for the future.
"I'm glad to see that the Racing Bulls and Red Bull don't look like the same car," he added, indicating that the teams have diverged sufficiently to mitigate conflict of interest. Brown also mentioned his conversations with Laurent Mekies, Red Bull's team principal, noting that Mekies has been transparent about the challenges of running two teams. "He's the only one with two teams and he's been very open: if you see something you don't like, let's discuss it," Brown said, suggesting that Red Bull recognizes the potential pitfalls and is willing to keep the arrangement in check. The Concorde Agreement discussions have even touched on the possibility that one of the linked teams might eventually be divested to preserve competition.
Brown reiterated his respect for Red Bull's contributions while warning that further expansion of multi‑team ownership would be detrimental to the sport. On the Mercedes side, team principal Toto Wolff clarified that the German manufacturer does not intend to turn Alpine into a junior squad for its works team, despite supplying Alpine with engines from this season. Wolff said Mercedes is simply evaluating the merits of a minority investment and has not reached a decision: "We are looking at it from different angles and haven't come to any conclusions yet.
We want to know whether it makes sense." In addition to Mercedes, a consortium that includes former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been reported as an interested party in the Alpine shareholding. The debate over team alliances is set to continue as the 2024 season progresses, with the next round of races beginning at the Miami Grand Prix from May 1‑3, featuring the second Sprint weekend of the year. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1 or stream via NOW, with the flexibility to cancel at any time.