Formula 1’s governing body has confirmed it is investigating the controversial practice of multi-team ownership after Mercedes emerged as a potential buyer of a significant stake in Alpine. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed the organization has assigned personnel to examine the ethics and integrity concerns surrounding teams having ownership interests in multiple F1 operations.
The investigation comes as Mercedes reportedly shows interest in acquiring the 24% Alpine stake currently held by Otro Capital, an investor group featuring Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and golfer Rory McIlroy. The group purchased their Alpine shares for 200 million euros in 2023, with the investment now valued at approximately 800 million euros. Former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has also been linked to potential ownership opportunities.
Ben Sulayem expressed personal skepticism about multi-team ownership during discussions with select media outlets. “I do believe that owning two is not the right way. This is my personal point of view,” he stated. The FIA president questioned whether such arrangements serve legitimate purposes or merely provide strategic advantages in voting power and regulatory influence. He emphasized concerns about maintaining sporting integrity, warning that losing the competitive spirit could damage fan support for the championship.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has emerged as the most vocal critic of multi-team ownership arrangements, particularly targeting Red Bull’s dual-team structure with Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Brown recently declared that co-ownership is prohibited in most major sports due to risks of compromising sporting fairness. The controversy intensified last season when Laurent Mekies moved from Racing Bulls to replace Christian Horner at Red Bull within days of the leadership change, highlighting concerns about personnel movement between related teams.
The FIA’s investigation will examine whether current ownership structures violate competitive integrity standards and could lead to regulatory changes governing team ownership in Formula 1. Ben Sulayem indicated the review process involves determining what constitutes acceptable reasons for multi-team ownership while ensuring the sporting element remains paramount in the championship’s governance structure.