McLaren CEO Zak Brown has warned against increasing ties and ownership links between Formula 1 teams, saying it would be “a mistake” for the sport to allow them to deepen.

Brown, 54, has spoken for many years about the issues surrounding multi-team ownership or close technical alliances between F1 squads, which has referred to as being like an A/B team system.

In 2024, Brown expressed concerns about the relationship between Red Bull Racing and its sister team, now known as Racing Bulls, both of which have been owned by Red Bull GmbH since 2005. He described it as being “a serious issue for the fairness of the sport for the fans”.

Last month, it emerged that Mercedes has been in talks over purchasing a minority stake in the Alpine team, a 24 per cent shareholding in which is held by three American investment groups.

Speaking to reporters at McLaren’s headquarters in Woking on Wednesday, Brown said his view on close team relationships “hasn’t changed at all” and is something “we need to get away from as much as possible as quickly as possible.”

Mercedes are in talks over purchasing a minority stake in Alpine (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP via Getty Images)

Why does Brown think it could ‘compromise F1’s integrity’?

Although Brown said he understood why Red Bull’s ownership in two teams emerged, he added: “In today’s day and age, that’s (not) permitted in almost all, if not all, major forms of sport. I think it runs a real high risk of compromising the integrity of sporting fairness.”

Brown cited examples of this having a sporting impact — such as when Racing Bulls driver Daniel Ricciardo set the fastest lap at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, denying Lando Norris a bonus point that would have aided his title battle against Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — as well an “IP violations on the Racing Point (now Aston Martin) brake ducts,” referring to a case in 2020 involving the team and technical partner Mercedes.

He also noted the way employees have been able to move between partnered teams “overnight” while a team such as McLaren has to wait for new signings to complete gardening leave or pay for their early release, which has a financial impact.

McLaren recently announced it had agreed to sign Max Verstappen’s race engineer, GianPiero Lambiase, into a senior technical role, but he may not be able to join until 2028 when his Red Bull contract expires.

“When you put that all together, can you imagine a Premier League game when you’ve got two teams owned by the same group?” said Brown. “One’s going to get relegated if they lose, and the other can afford to lose. That’s what we run the risk of. I think having engine power units and suppliers is as far as it should go.

“In my view, all 11 teams should be absolutely as independent as possible, because I think it has a high risk and we have seen it compromise the integrity of the sport. That will be what turns fans off quicker than anything else.”

Brown said the topic was discussed in the last round of Concorde Agreement talks — the contracts that bind the 11 F1 teams, the FIA and F1 organization together — and there was now “a higher level of awareness and watching by the FIA” on the matter.

Asked directly if this also applied to Mercedes amid its interest in Alpine, Brown replied: “It applies to anybody and everybody, A/B teams, co-ownership.

“So regardless of who it is, I frown up on it. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. It’s not personal or towards any one team or individual.”

What was said about the Mercedes deal?

Alpine executive advisor and de facto team boss Flavio Briatore confirmed in China there had been discussions with Mercedes over the minority shareholding, but clarified that “it’s a negotiation with Mercedes, not with Toto (Wolff), with Mercedes.”

Mercedes became Alpine’s engine supplier ahead of the 2026 F1 season in a deal that runs through to 2030. The German manufacturer also provides McLaren and Williams with its engines.

Briatore added there were “three or four potential buyers” of the 24 per cent stake, which is held by three groups; Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Maximum Effort Investments; AC Milan owner RedBird Capital; and Otro Capital, which has backing from Rory McIlroy, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The remaining 76 per cent of the team is owned by Renault.

One of the interested buyers of the shareholding is former Red Bull F1 chief Christian Horner, who has been working toward a potential F1 return since agreeing his contract settlement with the team.

Brown was a regular sparring partner with Horner in their time in F1 together, and he previously said he thought the sport’s political battles would be “healthier” for his absence.

But on Wednesday, Brown said that Horner was a “great personality” for F1 that he expected to return.

“(Horner’s) a great operator, his track record speaks for itself,” said Brown. “I’d rather have 10 weak team principals, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. There’s huge talent that’s coming up all the time. There’s been a lot of team principal moves here in the last two, three years.

“I think it would be great to have him back in the sport. I’m sure given his passion for the sport and his age, I’d be shocked if he wasn’t back in the sport, whether it was with Alpine or someone else.”