McLaren CEO Zak Brown warned that growing A/B-team links and common ownership in F1 threaten the sport’s competitive integrity and urged that such ties be reduced “as much as possible, as quickly as possible.” He said cross-team relationships should be limited to customer power-unit supply and that he raised the issue during Concorde Agreement discussions, summing up the risk bluntly: “A-B teams threaten sporting integrity.”

Brown cited several examples to illustrate his concern, including Daniel Ricciardo taking the fastest-lap point at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, the Aston Martin and Racing Point brake-duct intellectual property dispute, and rapid staff moves and compensatory deals that can distort competition and complicate cost-cap compliance.

He pointed to established technical and ownership links such as Red Bull’s dual ownership structure and Ferrari’s technical partnership with Haas, including shared gearboxes, rear suspension and hydraulic and electronic systems, as relationships that should be closely monitored and limited. The comments came amid reports that Mercedes was assessing a possible minority purchase of a 24% stake in Alpine, a move Brown said would deepen the A/B relationships he opposes. He explicitly criticized any Mercedes or Toto Wolff buy-in and said his stance “applies to anybody and everybody.” Mercedes and Wolff have said they would not intend to make Alpine a junior team. Brown also welcomed speculation that former Red Bull principal Christian Horner could return to F1, calling him “a great personality” and “a great operator,” and saying he would be “shocked” if Horner did not return to the sport, whether with Alpine or another team.