In a sport where the smallest advantage can make or break a championship, Red Bull’s ownership of both its flagship team and VCARB (AlphaTauri) has raised eyebrows, with some calling it an unfair dynamic that needs to be addressed. Former Haas team principal Gunther Steiner is the latest to voice his concern, arguing that Red Bull’s control over two teams creates suspicions of unfair favoritism, which damages the integrity of Formula 1.
Steiner’s comments come in the wake of a controversial moment at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Daniel Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull’s sister team VCARB, clocked the fastest lap of the race, indirectly benefitting Red Bull’s championship leader. While such a lap would normally be celebrated as a standout achievement, the ownership connection between the two teams has led to growing suspicions that VCARB’s performance is being orchestrated to aid Red Bull.
“This fastest lap, it was a little bit weird when it came, you know?” Steiner remarked, pointing to the moment that sparked the latest controversy. “In a sport like Formula 1, no owner should have two teams. You never get away from the suspicion that there are team orders between teams, not just within a team.”
Steiner’s frustration is rooted in the belief that one organization controlling multiple teams distorts the competition. He warned that such a setup raises serious concerns about fairness, as it allows for potential strategic moves across both teams to benefit one over others. He called for the FIA to step in and ban the practice, citing Formula 1’s evolution into a more competitive and high-stakes environment where even perceived favoritism can undermine trust in the sport.
“F1 has developed a lot since those days,” Steiner explained, acknowledging that Red Bull’s acquisition of Minardi (now VCARB) was beneficial for both the teams and the sport during tough times. “But for the future, maybe there needs to be a fix to this—no one should own two teams. It just opens the door for too many questions.”
The Haas boss suggested that Ricciardo’s impressive performance would have been viewed differently had VCARB not been owned by the same entity as Red Bull. “If VCARB wasn’t owned by Red Bull, nobody would have had the suspicion. Everybody would have said it’s the last hooray from Daniel Ricciardo,” Steiner emphasized. Instead, the fastest lap raised eyebrows and cast doubt over whether there were coordinated efforts between the two teams.
Max Verstappen, who benefited from Ricciardo’s lap, expressed his gratitude to his former teammate, but Steiner believes this dynamic creates more harm than good. With just six races left in the 2024 season, and Red Bull trailing McLaren by 41 points in the Constructors’ Championship, any hint of favoritism could tarnish the sport’s reputation, according to Steiner.
As Red Bull continues its dual-team ownership strategy, Steiner’s bold remarks reflect a growing sentiment within the F1 paddock—one that calls for tighter regulations and a level playing field, where no team’s success can be attributed to having double the resources, or double the influence, on the grid.
