McLaren CEO Zak Brown has restated his opposition to multi‑team ownership and close inter-team relationships in Formula 1 after reports that Mercedes is weighing a minority stake in Alpine.
Brown has for years criticised what he calls “A‑B teams” — situations where one organisation has an unusually close commercial, ownership or technical relationship with another. He points to examples such as Red Bull’s ownership links and Ferrari’s partnership with Haas. Recent reporting suggested Mercedes was among parties interested in the 24% Alpine stake held by US firm Otro Capital, while the Renault Group remains Alpine’s majority owner. Alpine advisor Flavio Briatore summed up the dynamic bluntly, saying that a 75/25 ownership split typically leaves the minority as a “passenger.”
Although these structures are allowed under the sport’s rules, Brown — whose McLaren runs Mercedes power units — says he disapproves of them across the board. He told Sky Sports News that, in his view, ties between teams should not extend beyond being a customer for power units. “I’ve been saying for 10 years I don’t like co‑ownership, I don’t like A‑B teams,” he said, warning that such setups risk undermining the sporting integrity of Formula 1.
Brown cited specific concerns: race outcomes and points being affected by fastest‑lap strategies, the transfer of intellectual property between linked teams, and rapid staff movements that can deliver competitive advantages and influence cost‑cap calculations. He offered a football analogy: if two Premier League clubs were owned by the same group, one might be sacrificed to protect the other — a scenario he believes F1 should avoid. “In my view, all 11 teams should be as independent as possible,” he added.
Brown said he raised the issue during recent Concorde Agreement talks and believes it is being addressed, while also praising Red Bull’s long‑term investment in the sport even as he argued that model should not be broadly replicated.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has denied any intention to turn Alpine into a junior team, saying the manufacturer is simply weighing the pros and cons of a minority investment as Otro Capital considers selling. A consortium that includes former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has also been linked with interest in Alpine.
Formula 1 resumes on May 1–3 with the Miami Grand Prix, the season’s second Sprint weekend, live on Sky Sports F1.