McLaren CEO Zak Brown sent a written complaint to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem requesting a formal review of Formula 1's team ownership rules, specifically targeting Red Bull Racing's control of both the Milton Keynes operation and RB (formerly AlphaTauri) in Faenza. The letter, confirmed by multiple paddock sources, marks the first time a team principal has formally escalated the dual-ownership question to the sport's governing body in the current regulatory cycle.
Brown's complaint centers on what McLaren views as an unearned competitive advantage: Red Bull's ability to test parts, develop drivers, and share technical personnel across two entries while independent teams like McLaren operate a single grid slot. The letter does not request immediate penalties but asks the FIA to clarify whether the current arrangement violates the spirit of the 2026 technical regulations, which tighten restrictions on shared wind-tunnel time and CFD resources. Brown cited specific instances where RB appeared to validate aerodynamic concepts later seen on the senior Red Bull car, though he stopped short of alleging rules violations.
Red Bull Team Principal Laurent Mekies responded within hours, calling the complaint "procedural theater" and noting that both teams operate under separate cost caps, separate technical staff, and separate FIA compliance officers. Mekies pointed out that McLaren itself benefits from a works partnership with Mercedes on power units, an arrangement Red Bull lacks after Honda's departure forced the Milton Keynes squad to internalize engine production. The response, delivered through Red Bull's communications head, was polite but dismissive: "We welcome scrutiny. Our structure has been transparent since 2006."
The timing is revealing. McLaren enters the 2025 season as the second-best funded team on the grid, with $400 million in sponsorship revenue locked through 2027 and a driver lineup of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri that costs roughly $30 million less annually than Red Bull's Max Verstappen alone. Brown's complaint arrives three months before the FIA finalizes technical regulations for the 2026 power unit era, when teams will have one last chance to lobby for rule changes before the next Concorde Agreement negotiations in 2027. If Brown can force a governance review now, McLaren positions itself to argue for stricter ownership separation when commercial terms reset.
The complaint also exposes a fissure in how teams view competitive balance. Ferrari and Mercedes have stayed silent, likely because both benefit from customer engine relationships that functionally extend their technical reach beyond a single entry. Aston Martin, Alpine, and Williams—the true independents—have not joined Brown's letter, suggesting they view the complaint as positioning rather than principle. One team principal, speaking off the record at the Abu Dhabi finale, noted that "Zak writes letters when he's ahead in the development race, not behind."
What to watch: The FIA typically takes 60-90 days to respond to formal governance complaints, meaning a preliminary ruling would land in March, weeks before the 2025 season opener in Bahrain. If Ben Sulayem orders a working group review, expect McLaren to push for a ban on shared ownership starting in 2026, grandfathering Red Bull's current structure but preventing future consolidation. Red Bull, meanwhile, has quietly explored selling a minority stake in RB to a third party, which would neutralize Brown's complaint while keeping operational control. Expect more letters.
Brown's complaint is not about fairness. It is about making Red Bull choose between two teams or accepting new restrictions that make owning two teams less useful. The FIA will likely rule that the current structure is legal, then tighten the rules going forward. Brown gets his headline. Red Bull keeps both teams. And the 2027 Concorde fight just got more expensive for everyone.
The takeaway
Brown's FIA complaint on dual ownership targets Red Bull now to shape **2026** technical regs and **2027** Concorde terms before commercial reset.
mclarenred bull racingfia governanceteam ownershipconcorde agreementzak brown
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