Zac Brown has been vocal about his concerns about the connection between Red Bull and the Bulls, both of which are owned by the same parent company.
Within the Red Bull driver ranks, graduates often join the Bulls first before making a case for promotion to the home team. The link between the two teams became clearer last year when Laurent Mekies moved from Faenza to replace Christian Horner.
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While Red Bull and Racing Bull once used different engines, from 2019 to 2025 both teams will be powered by Honda. Recently, Racing Bulls became the first team to use an engine supplied by Red Bull Powertrain.
This isn’t the first time McLaren’s chief executive has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the way Formula 1 is run. Over the years he has fielded questions on topics ranging from racing regulations to sponsorship deals.
He believes the dynamic between Red Bull and Bulls is just one of several factors undermining the way F1 operates.
Red Bull and Racing Bulls swap a lot of staff
According to FIA regulations, Red Bull and Racing Bull Racing are supposed to operate independently. But the way things unfold behind the scenes, there’s more overlap than you might think.
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According to Motorsport Italia, staff from both teams are swapping places in preparations for the 2026 season. It is said that 40 people have been transferred between different organizations.
While some of these initiatives involve marketing roles, which may not attract much attention within the paddock, there are also engineering staff involved – and this is where questions about the impact of sport start to arise.
So far, the FIA has found that both Red Bull and Racing Bull Racing are complying with the rules, and there is nothing in the current rules that specifically prohibits large-scale employee movements. If concerns persist, Brown may push for changes to address such situations in the future.
Red Bull rejects huge takeover bid for Bulls
Having another team gives Red Bull a clear advantage over other teams.
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That they rejected a reported £1.7bn bid from the Bulls last year speaks volumes about the value they feel this link has.
The company acquired Minardi in 2005 for just £26 million, a deal that looks even more sensible given developments since then.
Ferrari had an opportunity to acquire Minardi but passed it up. Instead, they have built their own network through a technical partnership with Haas and plan to supply engines to Cadillac when it joins F1 in 2026.
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