McLaren CEO Zak Brown has some concerns about the collaboration between Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The American is particularly concerned about what this means for the development of both teams over the course of the season.
There is a bit of a ruckus within the paddock regarding Red Bull and AlphaTauri. The fact that the two teams are part of the same company has been a source of doubt for some time now. But with Helmut Marko promising that AlphaTauri will be ‘closer to Red Bull’ next year, the competition is somewhat concerned about what that means for both teams and the independence of the field.
Team boss Christian Horner previously calmed minds by emphasizing that it will not be a repeat of the ‘Pink Mercedes’. That was a nickname given to the 2020 Racing Point because that car looked so much like the Mercedes from a year earlier. The FIA is also not concerned at the moment. CEO Nikolas Tombazis recently emphasized that the FIA currently sees no objectionable things with either team.
Concerns at McLaren
Yet the other teams are not yet convinced. McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently reiterated his concerns Autosport. “The most important question, which none of us have an answer to, is: how early did Red Bull stop development? We know we did better than the rest in the development race, and we know we closed the gap with Red Bull. But what no one knows is: did Red Bull stop and therefore we overtook them, or did Red Bull still continue developing?”
McLaren wasn’t the only team to take steps forward in the second half of this year. AlphaTauri also made rapid progress. While the team was initially confined to the backfield, Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo were suddenly able to compete with the cars of Ferrari, Aston Martin and Mercedes in the final phase of the season.
“We are seriously concerned about the connection between AlphaTauri and Red Bull,” Brown acknowledges. “That is something we will have to look closely at in the future. I think we still have to take significant steps to ensure that everyone is truly independent in this sport.”
‘Unhealthy situation’
“There is still plenty of room for improvement in Formula 1 with regard to fairness and competition,” Brown continued in an open letter on McLaren’s website. “The sport is not perfect. In most sports, it is illegal to own multiple teams in the same league. It is an unhealthy situation because it affects the decision on and off the court. Whether it concerns exchanging data or influencing strategic choices, it is simply not in the interest of the rules.”
“We must protect independence, competitiveness and fairness. In the future, I would like to see changes to the rules so that no influence can radiate from one team to another. Formula 1 must honor its own identity. Every team – with the exception of the engine suppliers – must be dependent on each other.”
Brown isn’t the only person raising these kinds of concerns. Haas team boss Günther Steiner is also looking at the situation with suspicion. “I think we need to talk about this, rightly or wrongly. There are of course a lot of sports where this would not be allowed. But so far there have been no real problems.”
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2023-12-22 12:56:15
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