Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has pledged the Milton Keynes squad would support additional measures to ensure racing independence between Formula 1’s 11 teams, despite the apparent conflict of interest created by Red Bull GmbH’s ownership of both Red Bull Racing and the RB team. The statement comes amid mounting pressure from rival teams over multi-team ownership structures in the sport.
The controversy was reignited by McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who has raised concerns about Red Bull’s ability to transfer personnel seamlessly between its two teams while other organizations must observe gardening leave periods or pay substantial compensation fees. Brown has formally contacted FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem advocating for stricter regulations governing strategic alliances and multi-team ownership arrangements in Formula 1.
During an FIA team representatives’ press conference at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mekies emphasized Red Bull’s commitment to sporting integrity. “We all want 11 teams racing independently on track, and we have made many steps as a sport in recent weeks, in recent months, in recent years, to try to ensure more and more independence from every team racing on track,” he told media outlets including RacingNews365.
The Red Bull boss acknowledged the various forms of collaboration existing throughout the paddock, citing power unit supply, gearbox supply, suspension supply, and ownership structures as examples. However, he stopped short of suggesting that Red Bull GmbH would consider divesting its sister team, noting that such an option is not currently under consideration by the parent company.
RB team principal Alan Permane, who participated in the same press conference alongside McLaren’s Andrea Stella, defended his team’s compliance efforts, stating that “a lot of work goes into ensuring that we are respecting those rules.” Meanwhile, Stella reiterated McLaren’s position that stronger independence measures are necessary to maintain competitive integrity in the championship.