F1 News: McLaren CEO Raises Fresh Concerns Over Red Bull B Team - "Not What Fans Expect"

Zak Brown has consistently voiced concerns about the tight collaboration between Red Bull and its affiliated junior team, Visa Cash App RB.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has yet again raised an alarm over the close alliance between Red Bull and its B- team, Visa Cash App RB (VCARB), popularly known as VCARB. He stated in his argument that in "every other major sport, you're not allowed to own two teams".

Brown emphasizes that a close association between two teams under a single owner can be misused to attain an unfair advantage in competition, which isn't "in the wider interest of the sport". 

He has expressed criticism of the partnership on multiple occasions in the past, particularly following the revelation that VCARB would be adopting the Red Bull RB19's front suspension this year. This decision came after VCARB managed to narrow the gap by utilizing the same car's rear suspension in 2023.

However, the chiefs of both Red Bull teams claim that the exchange of parts and information is being done in accordance with the FIA's norms under the strict supervision of the governing body. 

Despite the assurance, Brown is determined to chase the matter by plainly stating that Formula 1 is a level playing field where every team needs to have an independent stance of its own, on every matter. Speaking ahead of the launch of McLaren's 2024 title contender, the MCL38, he told Sky F1: 

“I’m speaking in the wider interest of the sport.

"If you look at every other major sport, you're not allowed to own two teams

.

And I'd even go further, there’s A-B team relationships.

“When they started 15 years ago it was because there were big gaps between the top teams and the bottom teams.

“Now that there’s this great budget cap in place, all teams are pretty much running at the cap.

“It’s an equal playing field. I can tell you from sitting in the FIA-F1 Commission meetings, the voting is always the same when in theory it shouldn’t be in one of the team’s best interests.”

The Need for FIA Intervention

The CEO emphasized the necessity for the FIA to intervene and prevent a single owner from owning two or more teams. He said:

“We’ve seen it on track, some collaborations going on. Technically, they’ve been very forthright in ‘we’re going to take the suspension, etc.’.

“The definition of a Constructor is someone who develops their own Intellectual Property. I think the sport has moved onto an equal playing field.

“To have A-B relationships and co-ownerships of two teams on a level playing field, it's not what the fans expect. The FIA really need to do something about it.”

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