McLaren CEO Zak Brown sent a formal letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem requesting rule changes that would prohibit any entity from owning equity stakes in multiple Formula 1 teams simultaneously. The communication, confirmed by sources with knowledge of the correspondence, marks the first direct regulatory appeal from a team principal on ownership structure since Liberty Media's $4.4B acquisition of F1's commercial rights in 2017.

Brown's concern centers on Red Bull Racing's relationship with sister team Visa Cash App RB, formerly AlphaTauri. Both teams share ownership through Red Bull GmbH, a structure inherited from the energy drink company's 2005 purchase of Jaguar Racing and subsequent 2006 acquisition of Minardi. While the arrangement predates current governance, no explicit language in the Concorde Agreement or FIA sporting regulations prevents common ownership, a gap Brown now argues creates competitive integrity risks as team valuations climb. Aston Martin changed hands for roughly $230M in 2018; comparable stakes now trade at $800M-plus in private discussions, three team advisors confirm.

The timing is structural, not reactive. F1's next Concorde cycle begins in 2026, and regulators typically negotiate fundamental commercial terms 18-24 months ahead of expiration. Brown's letter arrives as the FIA conducts its annual governance review, a procedural window that closes in June. McLaren holds no second team and carries no immediate financial incentive beyond competitive fairness, but the CEO chairs the F1 Commission, giving him procedural standing to raise regulatory gaps. His memo specifically requests language barring "any person, entity, or group of affiliated entities" from holding control or beneficial ownership in more than one constructor entry.

What matters to operators: if adopted, the rule change would freeze the current 10-team grid structure and eliminate one path to entry expansion. Three consortia explored acquisitions of existing teams in 2023-2024, per advisors involved, and two specifically studied dual-team models as a lower-risk entry method—own a backmarker, learn operations, then split or sell. A ban removes that onramp. It also forces clarity on what constitutes "control." Does a 15% passive stake trigger the threshold? Does board representation? The FIA's current financial regulations define control at 50%-plus-one equity, but sporting regulations remain silent. Brown's letter doesn't propose a percentage; it asks the FIA to draft one.

Red Bull responded through team principal Christian Horner, who told media the structure "complies fully with all regulations" and noted RB operates with separate management, budgets, and technical staff under the $135M cost cap. That's accurate. What Horner didn't address: whether RB's development serves Red Bull Racing's long-term interests through driver training, component testing, or aerodynamic risk-taking that a standalone team wouldn't attempt. Brown's argument doesn't allege current rule violations; it argues the rules permit a structural advantage no other team can replicate without buying a second entry, and no second entries remain available at accessible prices.

Sponsor and allocator interest turns on governance precedent. If the FIA adopts Brown's framework, team equity becomes a cleaner institutional asset—one CEO, one technical director, one P&L, no ambiguity about competitive alignment. Family offices circling $500M-$700M minority stakes prefer that clarity. If the FIA declines, it signals tolerance for multi-team structures, potentially opening the grid to a 12-team future where new entrants own both a primary constructor and a junior academy team. Liberty Media has publicly stated it prefers 10 teams with higher per-team valuations, but the commercial rights holder holds no FIA vote.

Watch the FIA's June World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris, where sporting regulation amendments require a simple majority. Brown chairs the F1 Commission, which advises the council but doesn't vote. Mohammed Ben Sulayem controls the final call. If the proposal advances, expect Red Bull to lawyer the definition of "control" and "affiliation" through at least two drafting cycles. If it stalls, expect Brown to revisit the issue in 2025 Concorde negotiations, where teams hold more leverage.

Red Bull Racing's 2024 constructor prize money totaled $140M before performance bonuses. RB earned $68M. Combined, the structure generated $208M in FIA payouts to a single corporate parent, more than any other ownership group on the grid.