Brown has been urging the governing FIA to reconsider the regulations that have allowed what he has referred to as a collaboration between an A-team and a B-team.
Last season, Red Bull, the reigning champions, won 21 out of 22 races. By strengthening their partnership with VCRRB, their junior team previously known as Toro Rosso, which finished eighth in the 2023 F1 standings as AlphaTauri, the sister team could become significantly more competitive.
During an FIA press conference at pre-season F1 testing in Bahrain on Thursday, Brown expressed his unawareness of any other sport that permits co-ownership of two teams competing against each other.
In the same conference, Horner, who is currently facing allegations from a female employee regarding his conduct, which he denies, reminded reporters that Red Bull also owns two soccer clubs in the Champions League.
RB Salzburg from Austria and RB Leipzig from Germany both reached the group stages of this year’s prestigious European club competition, with the latter making it to the last 16.
Horner also recalled how late Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz saved Minardi from collapse in 2005, rebranding it as Toro Rosso, and how Red Bull remained in the sport and supported it throughout the COVID pandemic when other manufacturers left.
Instead of facing criticism, Horner believes Red Bull should be praised for their commitment.
“The two [F1] teams are completely separate. One is located in Italy, while the other is based in the UK. The team in Italy has a significantly larger number of staff members who eventually end up in Maranello compared to those who end up in Milton Keynes,” he explained, making reference to Ferrari and Red Bull.
Horner stated that the relationship between the Red Bull teams is not as close as some other teams and their engine manufacturers.
“We expect them to be a competitor, not only against the rest of the field but also against Red Bull Racing,” he added. “There are no predetermined rules or agreements between the teams. I don’t understand the controversy surrounding it… to me, it’s really a non-issue,” Horner insisted.
Brown, also present at the FIA press conference, mentioned that while Red Bull is “playing by the rules,” the sport is evolving with the implementation of a budget cap. He believes that the aim should be to have 10 independent teams.
“If the purpose of the cap is to ensure a level playing field… then the current rules are not the same for everyone. We need to address this, and the FIA needs to address it in the regulations,” Brown added. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin)
According to the Source grandprix247.com