Dan Istitene – Formula 1Getty Images
- McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says the current Formula 1 product has many behind-the-scenes issues that need to be addressed.
- Among the problems the sport faces are high-spending teams fighting budget caps and the fact that teams have too much power.
- Brown also investigated the behavior of some of his colleagues on race day in a recent tirade on the McLaren website.
It’s still the off-season in Formula 1, but McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has already tackled a number of issues that are likely to be topics of conversation throughout 2022.
In an open letter posted to McLaren Racing’s website, Brown addressed long-held grievances about rival teams’ attempts to bend financial regulations introduced in 2021.
Formula 1 is entering the second year of its cost cap, which is now set at $140 million, albeit with several exceptions, with an additional $1 million per event if the calendar is longer than 21 races, meaning that it will likely increase to $142 million in 2022.
However, Brown thinks some teams are trying to manipulate the economic balance using the new-for-2021 sprint qualifying race format – which will be expanded from three to six events this year – as an excuse.
Brown explained that some teams are still trying to “win championships by checkbook” and that they “continue to ask for an excessive amount of money to be raised in the cost cap, despite clear evidence that during these (Sprint) races last year.”
Zak Brown thinks some of the biggest sports teams are trying to play games with Formula 1’s budget cap.
Dan Istitene – Formula 1Getty Images
Brown asserted that it’s “a thinly veiled attempt to guard against the erosion of their competitive advantage” and that “these teams seem unable to accept that a budget cap is in the best interest of the sport and that they their habit of spending their way there cannot give up the front.
“The current governance structure of the sport allows for a situation where some teams are effectively holding the sport hostage to protect their own competitive advantage, which is best for the fans and therefore the sport as a whole.”
The exact structure of Sprint and the associated financial implications are yet to be outlined by Formula 1 two months before the inaugural round in 2022.
Brown also reiterated a long-held view regarding the close ties between multiple teams, which he says gives some big brands undue authority both on and off the track.
McLaren is supplied by Mercedes aggregates but retains influence over its own components and design, while fellow Mercedes customers Aston Martin and Williams use more Mercedes-purchased components than allowed by Formula 1 regulations and as unlisted parts is known. Ferrari has a similar relationship with Haas, while AlphaTauri leans heavily on Red Bull Racing as both teams are owned by the energy drink company.
Brown lamented that “the threat of A and B teams hasn’t gone away” and that the current regulations are “heavily biased towards B teams, which is not in line with the F1 principle of a group of real constructors competing on equal terms . ”
McLaren’s Zak Brown, left, Lando Norris and Andres Seidl do their best to keep up with greedy Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.
Joe Portlock – Formula 1Getty Images
“In short, the current situation allows B-Teams to be over-competitive compared to constructors, and A-Teams can be over-competitive by having the advantage of a B-Team. Without a fix, the state of affairs means that every team with championship aspirations must have a B-Team, and that’s just not Formula 1. In addition, the voting pressure that the A-Teams put on their B-Teams isn’t the Case is consistent with the promotion of fair sport based on individual team performance.
“As I’ve said before — and these teams won’t admit it — there are times when some smaller teams will vote against their own interests to satisfy their A-Team’s agenda.”
Brown also addressed the controversy surrounding Formula 1’s title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which is currently the subject of a review by the FIA’s governing body. While aware of the problems of the finale, Brown anticipates there are “systemic issues” that need to be addressed over the long term.
“The signs of organizational difficulties were seen at the 2020 Australian Grand Prix and last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, both marked by an apparent lack of preparation for the unfolding events and a temporary inertia in resolutions,” Brown said.
“It is clear that some of the rules and their governance are not acceptable from today’s perspective. No one is happy with the inconsistency in regulatory oversight that teams habitually exploit for competitive advantage.
“I’ve said before that teams have too much power and it needs to be reduced.”
“I have said before that teams have too much power and it needs to be reduced. We play a significant role in shaping the regulations and governance of Formula 1 and that influence is not always determined by what is best for the sport as a whole.
“Yes, teams should be consulted and their informed perspectives considered, particularly on long-term strategic issues. But sometimes it seemed like the sport was ruled by certain teams.
“Let’s not forget that we, the teams, have contributed as much to the regulatory oversight inconsistencies as anyone. It was the teams that put the pressure on not to end races under a safety car at all costs.
“It’s the teams that voted for a lot of the regulations that they complained about.”
Brown has also scrutinized the behavior of some of his colleagues on race day when it came to complaining about the stewards’ and race director’s decisions during the race.
“It’s the teams that have used the transmission of radio messages to the race director to try to influence penalties and race results, to the point where an over-excited team principal is playing into the stands and pressuring race officials,” said he.
“It wasn’t edifying for F1. Sometimes it feels more like a pantomime audition than the pinnacle of a global sport.”
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