Red Bull-Racing Bulls ties under threat from FIA for 2026

The FIA is finalising new regulations aimed at limiting close alliances between Formula 1 teams, with 2026 set to bring a formal clampdown on 'A' and 'B' team partnerships, a move that could directly impact Red Bull’s close relationship with sister team Racing Bulls.

Speaking ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, FIA Single-Seater Director Nikolas Tombazis confirmed to Auto Hebdo that new measures are being prepared to address growing concerns about inter-team cooperation and competitive fairness.

"We are working on clarifying how teams, let's call them A and B teams, operate," Tombazis said. "We will put in place measures to stop those who have a close relationship to the point of helping each other or collaborating."

The issue returned to the spotlight at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, when Racing Bulls driver Daniel Ricciardo claimed the fastest lap point, denying it to McLaren’s Lando Norris and aiding Max Verstappen’s title bid. The incident prompted McLaren CEO Zak Brown to slam the arrangement.

"What a great initiative from the A and B teams. I didn't know it was allowed," Brown said at the time, highlighting concerns over sporting cooperation within multi-team groups.

While the FIA’s upcoming rules won’t ban all commercial ties between teams, the focus will be on ensuring clearer boundaries - both physically and digitally - between organisations that share ownership or resources.

"We are putting in place regulations on the IT side to ensure that the systems are differentiated, and there will also be physical segregation," Tombazis explained. "There are already many provisions; these are demanding conditions that the teams must comply with."

The 2026 framework will define acceptable collaboration models - such as the Ferrari-Haas setup - while preventing technical or sporting interference between connected teams.

"If a team is independent but has commercial relationships, we don't want that to dictate what happens on track," said Tombazis. "The goal of all this is for teams to be able to adopt different economics, like Haas."

Haas currently operates as an independent constructor while sourcing permitted components from Ferrari.

It has recently deepened ties with Toyota, conducting Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) sessions in Japan with the support of the Japanese manufacturer, a relationship that remains legal but is now being closely monitored.

"We're trying to formalise this so that teams can each play their own game," Tombazis added. "We also want to accommodate teams that don't have these kinds of arrangements, so that teams with commercial ties don't gain an unfair advantage."

The regulatory shift comes amid internal upheaval at Red Bull, following the dismissal of long-time team boss Christian Horner and the appointment of Laurent Mekies.

The leadership change is widely viewed as a consolidation of the Verstappen-Marko faction’s influence across both Red Bull and Racing Bulls.