The recent signing in December of 2025 of the ninth Formula One Concorde Agreement finally passed before its predecessor expired at the end of the month. This contractual arrangement binds all parties legally for the period 2026–2030 and was first instigated back in 1981. However, the deal failed to address the thorny issue of more than one team being owned by a single entity, as had been hoped.
Born From Paddock Warfare: The 1981 Origins
Back in the early 1980s, F1 was a Wild West show in terms of its organization. There were regular clashes between the sport’s ruling body and the teams’ association, resulting in the cancellation of several race weekends due to disagreement.
Furthermore, Goodyear had threatened to walk away from F1 at the drop of a hat, which at the time would have been a disaster. So, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone organized a meeting with all team bosses, the FIA’s head of F1, and the commercial rights owners at the FIA headquarters in the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
And so began the process of professionalizing the sport, which, through the various iterations of the subsequent Concorde Agreements, brings us to today—where F1 is the largest annual sporting competition in the world in terms of viewership.
Financial Overhauls in the New Five-Year Deal
Over the forty or so years, many of the issues facing the various F1 stakeholders have been resolved satisfactorily, including in the latest Concorde Agreement where a number of thorny problems were solved. The cost cap was raised given that F1 teams now have far more stable income profiles than when the eighth deal was signed in 2021. The distribution of prize money on a sliding scale was improved for the smaller teams, and the FIA negotiated a better financial deal to improve its management of motorsport through technology, training, and personnel.
The arrival of Cadillac too had provoked a rethink on the rules governing new teams joining F1, and with most of the teams valuing up at over $1bn, the admission fee (anti-dilution fee) shared between the existing teams was raised from $200m to $600m.
The Multi-Team Ownership Loophole Remains
Yet one topic failed to be agreed upon—that of two-team ownership. This affects a historic relationship stretching back almost a quarter of a century and affecting the two teams owned by Red Bull. It was felt that back then, when F1 was in dire need—as manufacturers bailed out of the sport left, right, and center—the generous offer from Red Bull drinks magnate Didi Mateschitz to invest in two F1 teams should remain protected today.
However, the matter was in effect kicked into the long grass given the lengthy process involved in emerging these two F1 teams, and would again be addressed, hopefully, for the tenth Concorde Agreement due in 2031. However, recent reports suggesting that Mercedes is considering investing in a 25% stake in the Alpine team have meant the topic is once again front and center.
Enter Zak Brown: McLaren’s Six-Page Ultimatum
Such is the case that McLaren CEO Zak Brown has written a six-page tome on the matter to the FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, urging him to tighten Formula 1’s regulations to completely “eliminate” alliances between teams.
Brown’s criticisms are neither directed at Red Bull nor Mercedes, but he makes clear that any arrangements involving some form of multi-team ownership should be outlawed in the future.
Speaking this week at the McLaren Technology Centre, Brown stated:
“It applies to anybody and everybody. So A/B teams, co-ownership, regardless of who it is, I frown upon it. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. But it’s not personal or towards any one team or individual.”
The outspoken American argues that the current financial health of F1 means that single entities owning multiple squads is no longer necessary and is inherently unfair to independent outfits. “There is a real concern that the sport risks taking a step backwards in terms of integrity and fairness, at a time when the regulatory framework has been designed – with significant collective effort – to move in the opposite direction,” claims Brown.
On-Track Compliance: Collusion on the Grid?
In support of his argument, Brown cited several recent track examples where he believes sporting integrity was compromised by allied teams working together:
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Singapore 2024: Daniel Ricciardo taking the fastest lap for Racing Bulls to deny McLaren’s Lando Norris a crucial extra point during his title fight with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
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Miami GP 2026: Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson being asked to move aside for Verstappen in the sister Red Bull Racing squad’s car.
Beyond on-track compliance, Brown raised concerns regarding shared off-track resources. He argued that sharing assets like wind tunnels and specialized software provides dual benefits that are completely unavailable to genuinely independent teams.
One Rule for Them: The Discrepancy in Staff Transfers
Furthermore, the McLaren boss questioned the discrepancies in how staff movement from one team to another is policed. He pointed out that McLaren had to wait nine months and pay significant compensation for Rob Marshall to move from Red Bull in 2024, whereas Laurent Mekies was able to switch team boss roles between Racing Bulls and Red Bull in a matter of days at zero expense.
He also noted that Andrea Landi’s upcoming move from Racing Bulls to Red Bull—announced on April 17 for a July 1 start—”reinforces” the perception that internal firewalls are not operating in a way that would be accepted between true competitors.
Unwinding the Alliances
Zak Brown believes that the integrity of F1 is at stake and this crucial topic must be addressed with some urgency given the potential Mercedes/Alpine deal.
“We need to eliminate any further alliances, whether through ownership, strategic participation or any other equivalent form of control or influence, and we need to work together quickly to start the process of unwinding those already established to ensure that the future integrity of the sport is not compromised.”
McLaren is currently working on formal recommendations for how F1 governance can address these structural issues through future regulatory changes. The letter concluded on a hopeful note, praising the work the FIA and Liberty Media have done to create a cost-controlled environment for 11 healthy grid entries, while stressing that total parity is the final hurdle to securing F1’s long-term future.
Ben Sulayem and the FIA Step In
Clearly, behind-the-scenes conversations are already taking place given that at the recent Miami Grand Prix, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem acknowledged these mounting paddock concerns. Speaking to the media at the event, he admitted the governing body is looking into the legality and ethics of multi-team ownership.
“I do believe that owning two teams is not the right way—this is my personal point of view—but we are looking into that because it’s a complicated area,” Ben Sulayem told Reuters. “If we lose the sporting spirit, I believe that there will not be any more support from fans. So to me, I’m not with it 100%.”
Defenseless in Milton Keynes: A Vulnerable Red Bull Empire
The Austrian overlords of the Red Bull Racing empire may well have shot themselves in the foot by sacking Christian Horner, given both he and Mateschitz were part of the historic arrangements which saw Toro Rosso and Red Bull Racing come into existence.
With Mateschitz’s death and Horner’s departure from Milton Keynes, there are no senior voices left at Racing Bulls/Red Bull Racing who can argue the case based on the historic significance of the deal. Brown clearly recognizes this and intends to press the matter to be resolved long before the next edition of the Concorde Agreement.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
