Zak Brown Decries A/B Team Conflicts as Mercedes Targets Minority Stake in Alpine F1

McLaren's Zak Brown warns that Mercedes taking a stake in Alpine threatens F1's integrity, comparing A/B team risks to the Premier League.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 24, 2026, 10:50 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

The Growing Concern Over Multi-Team Ownership

The debate regarding "A/B teams" in Formula 1 has intensified following comments from Flavio Briatore confirming that Mercedes is in active negotiations to purchase a 24% stake in Alpine. This move, which would see Mercedes—or its primary stakeholders—acquiring the share previously held by Otro Capital, has drawn immediate criticism from McLaren’s Zak Brown. Brown has long maintained that the practice of a single entity or affiliated group owning multiple teams is detrimental to the "health" of the sport. He emphasized that his stance is not a personal attack on any specific individual or team, but rather a fundamental objection to a structure that is increasingly rare in major professional sports.

Citing Historical Precedents of Sporting Interference

Brown’s concerns are rooted in recent on-track incidents that he believes illustrate the dangers of team alliances. He specifically referenced the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, where Daniel Ricciardo, driving for Red Bull’s second team (then Racing Bulls), set a late fastest lap. This maneuver effectively stripped McLaren’s Lando Norris of a crucial championship point, directly benefiting Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Brown characterized this as a prime example of "A/B team sporting things" that undermine the principle of eleven fully independent competitors fighting for their own individual success.

The Loophole of Immediate Personnel Transfers

Another flashpoint in Brown’s critique is the ease with which high-level staff are transferred between affiliated teams without the standard "gardening leave" periods. He pointed to the recent appointment of Laurent Mekies at Racing Bulls, who moved into a leadership role shortly after Red Bull’s internal management shifts. In contrast, independent teams like McLaren often have to negotiate expensive financial settlements or wait significant periods for new hires to join, which directly impacts their standing within the FIA cost cap. Brown argues that these rapid transfers provide an unfair financial and technical advantage to multi-team organizations.