McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has written directly to the FIA requesting rule changes that would prohibit a single entity from controlling multiple Formula 1 teams. The letter, sent to motorsport's governing body within the past week, arrives as Audi finalizes its 100% takeover of Sauber ahead of a 2026 grid entry.
Brown's target is structural. Current regulations permit common ownership so long as operational independence can be demonstrated—a standard Brown now argues is insufficient. His concern centers on scenario planning: a manufacturer or holding company accumulating stakes in two teams, extracting data arbitrage, or coordinating commercial strategies that dilute the value of independent franchises. The Audi-Sauber transaction itself does not violate existing rules, but it clarifies what is possible. Brown is moving to close the gap before someone exploits it.
The timing matters for three reasons. First, the $450 million anti-dilution fee introduced in 2023 makes team ownership a premium asset class, attracting sovereign wealth and private equity buyers who think in portfolio terms. Second, Andretti's ongoing bid—backed by General Motors capital—has demonstrated that credible expansionists are circling, and some may consider acquiring an existing slot rather than paying the entrance premium. Third, the Concorde Agreement expires in 2025, and any governance changes typically lock in during that renewal window. Brown is writing now because the FIA's regulatory calendar closes in months, not years.
McLaren's commercial logic is straightforward. The team operates as a standalone entity valued north of $1 billion by private placement markets, with sponsorship inventory priced against exclusive brandspace on a 20-race calendar. If a competitor begins operating two entries under a shared data infrastructure—even with separate liveries—McLaren's differentiation erodes. Sponsors pay for scarcity. Two teams sharing aero learnings, tire degradation models, or setup databases effectively create a 22-car test program that independents cannot match. Brown has spent three years repositioning McLaren as a commercially pure franchise; he is now defending the regulatory moat that makes that positioning credible.
The FIA has not yet replied on the record. Conversations inside the paddock suggest Brown's letter was copied to selected team principals, though not circulated to all ten outfits. The governance pathway is narrow: any ownership rule change requires FIA approval, but commercial terms affecting team revenue fall under Formula One Management's remit, meaning Liberty Media also holds a veto. Brown is leveraging McLaren's board seat on the F1 Commission, where such proposals are debated before reaching the World Motor Sport Council for ratification.
Two executives worth watching: Stefano Domenicali, F1's CEO, who has publicly supported grid expansion but opposes structural moves that fracture the franchise model, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the FIA president, who has shown willingness to tighten financial regulations when teams present a unified ask. Brown is attempting to define "unified" before others weigh in. His letter does not name Audi, but it does not need to. The German manufacturer's Sauber deal is the only recent transaction that makes the hypothetical concrete.
Brown's next leverage point arrives in late March, when the F1 Commission convenes in Bahrain ahead of the season opener. If he secures support from five of the ten teams, a formal proposal moves to the FIA's legal working group for drafting. If he cannot, the letter remains a signaling exercise—useful for shaping sponsor negotiations and franchise sale processes, but without teeth. The Concorde renewal discussions begin in June. Brown is building his case while the regulatory clay is still soft.
The takeaway
Brown is preempting multi-team ownership models before Concorde renewal locks in 2025 governance, protecting McLaren's franchise premium.
ownership intelligencemclaren racingfia governancefranchise valuationconcorde agreementzak brown
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