Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren Racing, has been the most vocal critic of the sister team system employed by Red Bull. Many Formula 1 teams have expressed concerns about Red Bull teams in the era of cost cap regulations. Brown has called for FIA intervention on two occasions, claiming that the technical partnership between the teams is unfair to their competitors.
In a move that further worried other F1 teams, the Team Principal of VCARB decided to relocate their headquarters to the Red Bull technology campus in Milton Keynes before the 2024 season. At a recent F1 Commission meeting, team directors expressed their concerns about the two teams sharing a wind tunnel facility. Brown even suggested that the FIA should prohibit this outdated ownership structure.
According to Brown, the sport is constantly evolving, which is why the cost cap was introduced. Its main goal is to create a level playing field for all participants, both financially and in other aspects. He believes that from a sporting, political, or technical point of view, the sport has advanced to a stage where ten independent teams should be the norm, as no other major sport allows co-ownership of competing teams.
The newly appointed Team Principal of Red Bull, Laurent Mekies, emphasized that they value and adhere to the rules and guidelines of the sport. Mekies, a former Ferrari employee, argues that Red Bull’s current model is sustainable and any changes should only be made if a better model is proposed.
After failing to meet its goals, AlphaTauri rebranded itself as Visa Cash App RB in 2024. The Italian group formed a partnership with Cash App and Visa, with Alrajhi Bank, a Saudi bank with a market capitalization of $96.81 billion, becoming the sponsor of the Visa Cash App RB F1 team. Alrajhi Bank is one of the largest banks in the Middle East and the world.
Saudi Arabia has shown interest in Formula 1, with companies and the government considering including it in their investments. The country is exploring alternative options to strengthen its partnership with F1, which currently costs $53 million per year, after previous unsuccessful attempts.
Saudi Arabia is believed to be the third largest contributor to Formula 1, following Azerbaijan and Qatar. However, the country has faced controversies within the F1 community. VCARB is already facing issues due to its close relationship with sister team Red Bull, and fans are concerned that this ongoing controversy could lead to more problems in the upcoming season.
