Guenther Steiner Urges Formula 1 to Rethink “Business Model” Amid Red Bull-VCARB Concerns

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner echoes McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s apprehensions regarding the deepening ties between Red Bull and sister team VCARB, emphasizing the necessity for Formula 1 to reconsider its business model to address such concerns.

Key Takeaways:

• Steiner acknowledges Brown’s worries about the close alliance between Red Bull and VCARB, suggesting a need for changes in F1’s business model unless natural corrections occur.
• Brown’s concerns primarily revolve around shared ownership and potential unfair advantages, especially with VCARB borrowing components from Red Bull amid the cost cap era.
• Drawing parallels with the Ferrari-Haas relationship, Steiner highlights the difference in ownership structures while hinting at potential future changes in business models as the sport evolves.

The ongoing debate surrounding the relationship between Red Bull and its sister team VCARB has intensified as McLaren CEO Zak Brown voices concerns over the potential implications for Formula 1’s competitive landscape. Brown’s apprehensions stem from the shared ownership between Red Bull and VCARB, raising questions about fairness and integrity within the sport.

Expressing his reservations, Brown emphasizes the need for FIA intervention, particularly in light of VCARB’s utilization of components sourced from Red Bull. This practice, he argues, challenges the essence of being a constructor, especially amid the current cost cap regulations.

Steiner, echoing Brown’s sentiments, sheds light on a similar dynamic between Ferrari and Haas, where Ferrari provided crucial components to the latter. However, he underscores the fundamental distinction in ownership structures between the two scenarios. In an interview with RacingNews365.com, Steiner explains:

“Without that relationship, Haas would not have been able to go where we did. We wouldn’t have survived the first season, in my opinion. It was very important.

“Obviously, with where Formula 1 is going now, there needs to be a direction where you do something.

“I understand Zak’s position very well, what he’s asking for. He is raising this for the long-term future of the sport.

“But the relationship between two teams owned by the same owner is different than the relationship between Haas and Ferrari.

“Then again, for the future, if the sport is in good standing, maybe there needs to be changes to the business models in general.

“Formula One is a little bit different to anything else, and we cannot forget what Red Bull brought to the sport when it was in difficulty, so there needs to be respect for that as well.

“But if the sport continues to develop like it is now, there will be a natural way to solve that problem.”

Steiner’s remarks underline the complexities inherent in team alliances and ownership structures within Formula 1, suggesting a potential need for broader reforms in the sport’s business models to ensure fairness and sustainability moving forward.