Zak Brown raises concerns over Red Bull-AlphaTauri relationship

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

In a year-end letter, the McLaren F1 CEO addressed the joint ownership of two rivals

It was a year to remember for McLaren. The Formula 1 season got off to a difficult start for the team, but after they began the year fighting for points, they ended it fighting for podiums. McLaren charged through the midfield, finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship ahead of rivals Aston Martin. Now, their sights are set on finishing even higher in the upcoming F1 season.

In a year-end letter to their fans, McLaren F1 CEO Zak Brown addressed their stunning turnaround, but also touched on what might be the next big controversy brewing in the F1 world:

The joint ownership of Red Bull and AlphaTauri RB.

At the outset, Brown paid tribute to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen, who put together a season for the ages:

“Credit must go to Max Verstappen, who broke all the records in a year of domination in 2023 — the likes of which I doubt we’ll ever see again. In Hungary, when Red Bull Racing eclipsed McLaren’s long-held record from 1988 (to win their 12th consecutive Grand Prix), it was fitting we were able to share the podium to celebrate their achievement — despite Lando’s slight mishap with the trophy!”

Brown also addressed how the field was bunched up behind the Red Bull duo of Sergio Pérez and Verstappen, noting that the 2023 F1 season saw a first for the sport:

“Mercedes, Ferrari and Aston Martin didn’t make it easy for us, but we pushed at every race on each and every lap, resulting in a thrilling finish where the final positions in the FIA Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championship were only decided at the 23rd — and last round — of the season. Never before have five different teams scored seven podiums in the same season, which just goes to underscore the competitive nature of the grid this year.”

Brown then turned to his own driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The McLaren boss truly believes that in those two he has the best duo on the grid, an opinion he shared with me back in October. Brown highlighted both of their accomplishments this season

“A personal highlight for me this year was our home race at Silverstone when Lando burst into the lead at the start, with Oscar following close behind. Hearing the British fans erupt from the grandstands was a truly spine-tingling moment. Lando has been at the top of his game in 2023, showing tremendous pace and terrific racecraft. He can often be hard on himself when he makes a mistake, but his seven podiums are a testament to his speed and determination. That first win for him is just around the corner.

“I believe we have the strongest driver pairing on the Formula 1 grid. Many agree that Oscar has been a revelation in his rookie campaign, and he has already shown he is able to fight at the front with the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. It was a shame he missed out on a podium at Silverstone, due to the timing of the Safety Car, but he did achieve his first at Suzuka before his brilliant victory in the Qatar Sprint, both of which prove he is an exceptional talent. With a new contract that takes Oscar with us through to the end of 2026, I’ve no doubt he’ll continue to impress as he gains more experience.”

Eventually, Brown turned to some big-picture items, including the level of competition within F1, and notions of fair play. That is when he wrote this:

“That said, there is an opportunity to improve some of the other processes in Formula 1 to strengthen the values of fairness and competition. The sport is not perfect, and 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 major sports prohibit the ownership of two teams within the same league because of the obvious potential damage that it does to competition. It’s an unhealthy situation because it impacts decisions made both on and off the track. Whether it’s a case of having access to more data, sharing components/personnel, or even having influence over a strategic vote, it’s not in the spirit of the regulations.

“It’s important to stand up for independence, competition and fairness, and I’d like to see changes in the regulations to ensure that in future, they stop influence spreading from one team to another through strategic alliances and especially through ownership. Formula 1 should be true to its brand, and every team – except Power Units – should be totally independent of each other.

“I believe Formula 1 fans universally believe in fairness in competition and a level playing field, and would reject any actions that compromise the true spirit of competition within Formula 1. Part sharing of information, shared ownership models, and strategic alliances within the sporting fabric of Formula 1 will only serve to undermine the fans’ belief in fair and fierce competition.”

The McLaren boss is not alone in raising concerns over the Red Bull/AlphaTauri RB relationship. In an interview with RaceFans ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Haas Team Principal Guenther Steiner also addressed the issue. “I think, right or not right, it needs to be discussed,” said the Haas boss. “Obviously, there is a lot of other sports where that is not allowed. But up to now there was not an issue with this.”

While Steiner noted that it had yet to be a problem, he also anticipates that it will become an issue in the future.

“It’s [been] 18 years now, so it worked fine up to now,” he said to RaceFans. “But at some stage there will be the questions asked and there will be answers why it works or why it shouldn’t work. But it’s not [worth reacting] on this one because it works a long time.”

The point about other sports not allowing such a relationship is a fair one. Consider the NFL. Imagine if an owner — let’s just use Jerry Jones in this hypothetical — owned two teams: The Dallas Cowboys (which he currently owns) and the Buffalo Bills. At first blush one might thing this is not too big of an issue, after all the two teams are in separate conferences.

However, last week they played each other, in a game that probably meant a little more to the Bills than the Cowboys. While Dallas had clinched a playoff spot before the game even began, thanks to results elsewhere, the Bills were fighting for their playoff lives.

You can probably see where I am going with this.

Now as Steiner notes, this has not been in issue in nearly two decades of joint ownership. But that might be about to change. Part of the discussion about the relationship between Red Bull and AlphaTauri RB might stem from recent reporting that AlphaTauri is set to integrate key components from the RB19 into their own challenger for the 2024 season, including a front suspension.

If you’ve just seen the RB19 dominate the field, and are now contemplating having to race against it again — as well as what Red Bull puts in Verstappen’s hands — you might have some concerns too.

Now, AlphaTauri has downplayed the issue, with Technical Director Jody Egginton noting back in October that the components used by the team for 2024 would be similar to how components were shared in the past. But the RB19 was a unicorn, and one of the most dominant cars in F1 history.

Could this be the next big controversy in F1? It certainly seems so.