McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has once again voiced his long‑standing opposition to the growing trend of multi‑ownership and close‑knit partnerships between Formula 1 teams, a stance that has taken on fresh relevance after reports surfaced that Mercedes may be interested in acquiring a minority share of Alpine. Brown has been an outspoken critic of what he describes as "A‑B teams" – situations where one outfit enjoys a deeper connection to another, either through shared ownership structures or technical collaborations that go beyond the usual customer‑supplier relationship. He argues that such arrangements can erode the competitive integrity of the sport, giving one team an unfair advantage over its rivals. The issue is not new.
Red Bull has owned two separate teams since 2005, while Ferrari maintains a long‑standing technical partnership with Haas. More recently, it emerged that Mercedes is among several parties evaluating a potential purchase of the 24 percent stake in Alpine currently held by Otro Capital, a U.S. investment firm.
Alpine’s majority owner is the Renault Group, and executive advisor Flavio Briatore has suggested that the current structure is akin to a situation where a 75 percent shareholder makes the decisions and the remaining 25 percent is merely a passenger. Although the FIA permits such ownership models, Brown, whose McLaren cars run on Mercedes power units, says his concerns apply universally. "Regardless of who is involved, I frown upon it," he told Sky Sports News. He believes that the only acceptable link between teams should be the supply of engines, and that any deeper ties risk compromising the sport’s fairness.
Brown explained his position to Sky Sports News, stating, "I've been saying for ten years I don't like co‑ownership, I don't like A‑B teams. I think it runs a high risk of compromising the sporting integrity of the sport." He cited concrete examples from recent races, such as the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, where a fastest lap recorded by Daniel Ricciardo while driving for Racing Bulls effectively stole a point from McLaren, benefitting Max Verstappen and Red Bull.
He also highlighted the transfer of intellectual property and staff between teams, noting that such moves can provide a cost‑cap advantage because the receiving team does not have to pay for the expertise outright. During a McLaren media briefing, Brown drew an analogy with football: "Can you imagine a Premier League game where two clubs are owned by the same group? One club would be safe from relegation, while the other could be sacrificed. That's the risk we face in F1." He reiterated that engine supply should be the limit of any cross‑team relationship and that each of the eleven entries should strive to be as independent as possible.
Brown also mentioned that he raised these concerns during the latest round of Concorde Agreement negotiations, emphasizing that the sport needs to move away from such arrangements rather than expand them. While he acknowledges the "huge appreciation" he has for Red Bull’s investment in the sport over the past two decades—particularly their rescue of the struggling Minardi team in 2005—he cautions against replicating that model. "I'm glad to see that Racing Bulls and Red Bull don't look like the same race car," he said, noting that Red Bull’s team principal Laurent Mekies has been transparent about the challenges of owning two teams.
He added that discussions within the Concorde Agreement have considered whether one of the co‑owned teams should eventually be divested. "As long as it is managed and watched, adding more of the same would be a mistake for the sport," Brown concluded. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, when asked about the potential Alpine investment, clarified that the German outfit does not intend to turn Alpine into a junior team. Instead, they are simply assessing whether a minority stake makes commercial sense.
"We are looking at it from different angles, and we haven't come to any conclusions," Wolff said. Other interested parties include a consortium featuring former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, indicating that the market for Alpine shares is attracting a variety of suitors.
The debate over multi‑team ownership is likely to intensify as the 2026 regulatory overhaul approaches, bringing new power‑unit rules and cost‑cap structures that could make cross‑team collaborations even more tempting. Brown’s warnings serve as a reminder that preserving a level playing field may require stricter enforcement of independence rules, ensuring that no team can leverage a parent company’s resources to gain an unfair edge.
Formula 1 returns to the calendar on May 1‑3 for the Miami Grand Prix, which will also host the season’s second Sprint weekend, broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Viewers can stream the action via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription.