[Saba Sports News] Zak Brown has finally voiced his public dissatisfaction with the satellite team model in Formula 1. He recently sent an official letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, urging F1 to revise the regulations to restrict and gradually phase out cross-team shareholdings and alliance ties. Though no teams were explicitly named in the letter, it is widely believed the move was triggered by Mercedes’ plan to acquire partial shares in Alpine, a deal that would likely turn Alpine into a de facto Mercedes satellite team.
Brown has openly opposed this model for years. He argues that deep ties in capital, technology and staff mobility between teams that are supposed to compete head-to-head seriously damage sporting fairness in F1. He cited the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix as an example. Back when Daniel Ricciardo raced for AlphaTauri, he snatched fastest lap points away from McLaren, indirectly benefiting Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, a scenario that easily sparks controversy.
Apart from on-track interest conflicts, Brown also raised concerns over technical sharing and personnel transfers. He pointed out that affiliated teams can arrange seamless player moves, gaining a huge edge over ordinary teams restricted by lengthy gardening leave rules.
In my opinion, the dual-team strategy is a shrewd commercial tactic within existing rules rather than a model for fair competition. It reflects the everlasting conflict in F1 between encouraging business innovation and maintaining balanced sporting rivalry.