McLaren Keeps Pressure On Over ‘A-B Team’ Model

McLaren is continuing to question the fairness of the A-B team model in Formula 1 – a structure most prominently seen in Red Bull’s ownership of both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

The issue has long been a flashpoint between McLaren CEO Zak Brown and former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. Some in the paddock suggest Brown’s outspoken comments following Horner’s dismissal, claiming F1 was “better off” without him, were partly rooted in Horner’s control of both operations.

Despite the management change, Red Bull still owns both teams, which will share Red Bull-Ford engines from 2026, and frequently move drivers between the two. Laurent Mekies recently moved directly from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing to replace Horner, without the customary gardening leave that other teams enforce.

Brown remains the loudest critic, but McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also supports the push for tighter independence rules, albeit in more cautious terms.

“It’s an interesting and quite complex topic,” the Italian said. “We have to be careful not to approach it too simplistically. Certainly, McLaren has often raised questions about team independence in the past.”

“It’s an issue that needs to be discussed in the context of establishing a sport within a very sound and fair framework, so that any team operating completely independently is protected from the advantages that accrue from being dependent on other teams,” Stella continued.

He also referred to the way Red Bull personnel so often flick between the two operations.

“McLaren assumes that the current rules, and the way they are enforced, mitigate any potential risk associated with team ties, such as switching from one team to another overnight,” said Stella.

“We certainly believe this topic can be part of constructive discussions in the future, to see if there’s a way to address the issue of team independence in a more mature way than we are doing now.”

The FIA has acknowledged it is monitoring the situation, amid rumours that shared ownership of multiple teams could eventually be outlawed under future regulations.