Mekies says Red Bull would support tighter F1 team independence rules

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has signalled that his organisation would welcome tighter rules to guarantee on-track independence between F1 teams, following a letter sent by McLaren CEO Zak Brown to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Brown's campaign steps up

Brown has been pursuing a sustained campaign to have dual-team ownership outlawed in Formula 1, drawing comparisons with other major sports — most notably UEFA football competitions, where two clubs owned by the same entity cannot compete in the same tournament.

In his latest correspondence with the FIA, Brown cited several instances where he believes the required independence between the two Red Bull-owned outfits — Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls — has not been adequately respected. The arrangement has existed since 2006, with Red Bull GmbH owning both teams while the remaining nine of F1's 11 constructors are controlled by separate entities.

Among the specific points raised by the McLaren chief was the transfer of Mekies himself, who moved from his role as team principal at the Faenza-based Racing Bulls to lead Red Bull Racing in July 2025, replacing Christian Horner. Crucially, Mekies did not serve the gardening leave period that would typically apply to such a senior inter-team move. Brown also questioned the apparent ease with which Max Verstappen was allowed to pass Liam Lawson in Miami, despite the Red Bull car having forced the Racing Bulls driver off the track on the opening lap.

Mekies: "We would support any further steps"

Responding to Brown's letter, Mekies — who has also recently addressed concerns over Verstappen's car handling issues this season — struck a constructive and open tone, insisting the sport as a whole has already taken meaningful steps toward greater independence and that Red Bull would back further action if the relevant stakeholders demanded it.

"We all want 11 teams racing independently on track, and we have made many steps as a sport in recent weeks, in recent months, in recent years, to try to ensure more and more independence from every team racing on track," Mekies told media, including RacingNews365.

"If any stakeholders, let it be another team or anyone else, feel that more steps are needed to ensure 11 teams race independently, we would support."

Mekies was also keen to broaden the conversation beyond the Red Bull structure, pointing out that collaboration between teams takes many forms across the paddock — from power unit and gearbox supply arrangements to suspension partnerships and various forms of partial or full ownership.

"We don't think it's a matter of core ownerships or strategic supply. We think there are very many different ways in which teams are collaborating in the pit lane: power unit supply, gearbox supply, suspension supply, partial ownerships, full ownerships," he added.

"We are completely supportive of taking any further step to ensure that, regardless of our strategic partnership or regardless of our ownership structure, we race independently on track. We feel that is the case today. We will, regardless, completely encourage any further steps that we feel are needed as a sport."

The debate looks set to continue as the FIA weighs up whether existing regulations are sufficient — or whether more formal structural changes are needed to satisfy the sport's broader stakeholder community.