Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has been interested in Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine. McLaren CEO Zak Brown recently came out and took another shot at the Silver Arrows in his letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Zak Brown and Toto Wolff – F1 Grand Prix Of United States Practice And Spring Qualifying – Source: Getty
Zak Brown has not been content with the ‘alliances’ between teams, and has cited the disadvantages for the independent teams like McLaren. Red Bull and Racing Bulls are currently the only two teams with an A-B team setup, with Mercedes reportedly interested in acquiring an Alpine stake.
Amid the reports of Toto Wolff aiming to acquire Otro Capital’s stake in Alpine (which is also being targeted by a consortium led by Christian Horner), Brown recently came out at the McLaren factory and took a dig at Mercedes as he said,
“It applies to anybody and everybody. So A/B teams, co-ownership, regardless of who it is, I frown upon it. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. But it’s not personal or towards any one team or individual.”
The McLaren CEO’s stance against the alliances between teams has now taken a serious turn with Brown writing a six-page letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, asking to protect the sport’s integrity. Zak Brown highlighted the disadvantages for independent teams compared to those with an alliance, and gave examples from the Red Bull Racing alliance to support his concern.
“There is a real concern that the sport risks taking a step backwards in terms of integrity and fairness, at a time when the regulatory framework has been designed – with significant collective effort – to move in the opposite direction,” read Zak Brown’s latter (via The Race)
While the letter had no mention of Mercedes or Alpine, it did request to stop any further team alliances, which itself was a sly dig at the Silver Arrows and Toto Wolff.
“We need to eliminate any further alliances, whether through ownership, strategic participation or any other equivalent form of control or influence, and we need to work together quickly to start the process of unwinding those already established to ensure that the future integrity of the sport is not compromised,” read a part of Zak Brown’s letter.
Guenther Steiner asks Toto Wolff to pull the plug on the McLaren engine deal
Mercedes started the season as the favorites. However, after the upgrades brought by McLaren at the Miami GP, the Papaya team looked a lot closer to the Silver Arrows. Amid this, Guenther Steiner came out and asked Toto Wolff to pull the plug on the engine deal with McLaren, as he said,
“If I were Toto Wolff, I would do that. It’s an easy solution to avoid getting beaten. All right, I just wouldn’t give you an engine anymore. You need to supply engines by regulation, but only to a maximum of two other teams. You’re not obliged to do more than that. Alpine and Williams, done. But again, Toto is a sportsman. He gives his best piece to his biggest opponent.”
Toto Wolff had come out a few months and pointed at the factory that Mercedes wants to reduce the number of customer teams for the future.
