McLaren renews push for stricter limits on sister-team model

McLaren is keeping the spotlight on Formula 1’s so-called A/B-team arrangements, with Red Bull’s ownership of both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls remaining the prime example.

The debate has been a long-running source of friction between McLaren chief Zak Brown and former Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

Some observers believe Brown’s barbed remark after Horner’s sacking - that F1 was “better off” without him - was at least partly motivated by Horner’s influence across both outfits.

That structure remains in place. From 2026 both teams will run Red Bull-Ford power units, continue regular driver transfers, and share personnel, most notably Laurent Mekies’ rapid move from Racing Bulls to Red Bull Racing to succeed Horner, bypassing the gardening-leave rules other operations observe.

While Brown is the most forceful critic, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella also favours stronger independence safeguards, though his language is more measured.

“It’s an interesting and quite complex topic,” he 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 pointed to the ease of staff movement within the Red Bull organisation, saying: “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.

“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 confirmed it is watching developments closely, with paddock speculation that future rules could prohibit any single owner from controlling more than one entry.