McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has urged Formula 1 to strengthen competitive integrity and prevent large manufacturers from using their influence to control teams they supply.
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Brown warned that smaller, customer teams have sometimes been pressured into backing rule changes that leave them disadvantaged because of supplier influence.
Formula 1 currently features four engine manufacturers. Two of them — Ferrari and Mercedes (which supplies McLaren) — provide customer engines to other teams. Red Bull operates two teams that both use Honda engines, while Alpine remains the sole team using Renault power units.
In an open letter published on McLaren’s website, Brown called for stronger protections for independent teams and for governance that prevents manufacturers from exerting undue pressure.
“The rise of team affiliations has become unhealthy for our sport,” Brown wrote. “It is not in the best interests of competition if two rivals, or even three, share assets and align strategically. One of the fundamental principles of Formula 1, as opposed to other one-make racing series, is an open competition between constructors.”
He added that while he does not want to see the number of teams shrink, affiliations undermine a level playing field and demand changes to Formula 1’s governance.
“There have always been conflicts of interest in Formula 1 and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon, so it’s even more important that F1 and the FIA, who have no other agenda than the whole sport’s success, call the shots in the best interests [of] F1 and not be blocked and slowed at every turn.”
Brown recommended introducing secret ballots in the F1 Commission — the rule-making body where each of the 10 teams has a vote — so customer teams cannot be compelled to vote according to their suppliers’ wishes.
“Currently, decisions about the future of the sport can be halted by a minority, rather than a majority, and they are further skewed by some teams’ voting power being in favour of their affiliated team partner. There have even been instances when an affiliated team, to satisfy its bigger partner, has voted in favour of a clear disadvantage to itself.
“This isn’t sport. This isn’t putting the fans first. It is a situation that must be addressed and so we call for secret ballot voting to be implemented in all F1 Commission meetings with immediate effect.”
Brown argued that in other sports, regulatory bodies are empowered to act in the best interests of the whole competition, and that similar authority in F1 — supported by confidential voting — would enable faster, fairer decision-making that benefits fans and the sport overall.
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