Formula One's governing body is divided on whether to tighten rules around multi-team ownership, a regulatory question that surfaced after Mercedes were linked to an unnamed minority stake opportunity. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed internal disagreement during a weekend media briefing, noting some officials favor stricter prohibitions while others see strategic value in allowing capital-layer overlap under narrow conditions. The current rulebook permits shared ownership below 50% of voting control, a threshold McLaren CEO Zak Brown now wants removed entirely.
Brown sent a formal letter to Ben Sulayem this week urging the FIA to eliminate any pathway to common ownership structures, arguing that even minority cross-holdings create conflicts of interest around technical data sharing and driver-market coordination. The timing is not incidental. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has been sighted in paddock conversations with several financial sponsors tied to second-tier constructors, and two separate sources familiar with the discussions said exploratory talks involved a sub-20% passive stake in a team outside the current top-four constructor standings. No term sheet has been signed, but the mere possibility prompted Brown's preemptive regulatory push.
The divide inside the FIA reflects broader tension over whether F1 should behave like a closed franchise league or preserve the constructor independence that has defined the sport since the 1950s. One camp argues that modern capital intensity—teams now spend $150 million annually under the cost cap, with factory infrastructure adding another $200 million in sunk costs—requires allowing flexible ownership structures to attract institutional allocators. The other camp, including Brown and several independent team principals, believes any shared ownership erodes competitive integrity and devalues the championship as a meritocratic contest. The FIA has no deadline to resolve the question, but two people familiar with the internal calendar said the matter is expected on the agenda for the June World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.
Meanwhile, Ben Sulayem confirmed he expects Christian Horner to return to a formal role in Formula One by 2026, a statement that carries weight given Horner's departure from Red Bull Racing earlier this year following an internal investigation. Horner has been absent from the paddock since March, but his contract with Red Bull includes a non-compete clause that expires in late 2025. Ben Sulayem did not specify whether Horner would rejoin Red Bull, take a team principal role elsewhere, or pivot to a commercial or advisory capacity, but the public endorsement signals the FIA considers any prior conduct issues resolved. Horner has remained on the global motorsport speaker circuit and was photographed in Monaco last month dining with an executive from Liberty Media, F1's commercial rights holder.
The ownership debate and Horner's potential return both land as F1 prepares for the 2026 power-unit regulations, which will bring Audi and potentially a second new manufacturer into the grid. The FIA's stance on multi-team ownership will shape whether those new entrants can partner with existing constructors at the equity level or must remain structurally separate. One senior team executive, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the uncertainty is already affecting valuation discussions for mid-tier teams fielding inbound interest from private equity and sovereign wealth funds. If the FIA tightens the rules, minority-stake buyers lose leverage; if the FIA loosens them, McLaren's competitive moat shrinks.
The June World Motor Sport Council meeting will also address technical-regulation disputes and calendar expansion, but the ownership question is the one allocators are watching. Brown's letter ensures it will not be shelved quietly.