The debate around multi-team ownership in Formula 1 is heating up again, and now even the FIA is openly questioning whether the model still fits the sport.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed that motorsport’s governing body is actively reviewing the ethics and sporting implications surrounding teams owning stakes in rival outfits.
And while he stopped short of calling for an outright ban, his stance was clear enough.
“I do believe that owning two is not the right way,” Ben Sulayem admitted while speaking to select media, including RacingNews365.
Why The Debate Has Returned
The issue has lingered in the background for years, largely because of Red Bull operating two teams on the grid through Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.
Critics have long questioned how “independent” the two teams truly are, particularly when it comes to staff movement and technical influence.
Those concerns intensified last season after former Red Bull boss Christian Horner departed and Racing Bulls chief Laurent Mekies quickly stepped into the senior role.
Now, the spotlight has shifted again because of growing reports linking Mercedes-Benz to a potential investment in BWT Alpine F1 Team.
A 24% Alpine stake, currently owned by a consortium led by Otro Capital, is believed to be available, with the shares reportedly soaring in value from €200 million in 2023 to nearly €800 million today.
The investor group includes celebrities such as Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Patrick Mahomes and Rory McIlroy.
FIA Concerned About Sporting Integrity
Few figures in the paddock have criticised the system more loudly than Zak Brown.
“Co-ownership in today’s day and age is prohibited in almost all major forms of sport,” Brown recently said. “It runs a real high risk of compromising the integrity of sporting fairness.”
Ben Sulayem echoed similar concerns, revealing the FIA has assigned personnel to study whether tighter regulation is needed.
“If we lose the sporting spirit, there will not be any more support for it,” he warned.
For now, multi-team ownership remains legal in Formula 1. But with investment interest growing and scrutiny intensifying, the FIA appears increasingly uncomfortable with where the sport may be heading.
