In response to criticism of injustice from the paddock, the principal of the RB team, Laurent Mekies, has extended an invitation to all other Formula 1 teams to request an FIA investigation into their relationship with Red Bull if they believe it to be unlawful.
With Daniel Ricciardo leading the timesheets and Yuki Tsunoda coming in fourth, RB stole the show in the first practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2024, sandwiching the two McLaren drivers driven by Lando Norris.
Alongside Mekies and Mercedes’ Toto Wolff, McLaren manager Zak Brown has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the collaboration between the two Red Bull-owned teams.
“Today there is a clear set of regulations,” Mekies said reporters. “And we follow that set of regulations to the letter, going above and beyond with the FIA to ensure that they are completely certain of our adherence to these rules.”
And I extend an invitation to everyone who is unsure about whether we adhere to technical, financial, or sporting regulations to visit the FIA and request that they look into anything further.
“This is the current situation regarding the clarity of the regulations; I’m not saying that they are right or wrong, but it is true that we are working within a gray area when it comes to these regulations.”
Mekies: Exercise caution when relying too much on rules.
At the Las Vegas 2024 Visa Cash App RB Car Launch, Laurent Mekies, Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo, and Peter Bayer were present. Red Bull Content Pool / Jesse Grant / Getty Images
Mekies also cautioned against placing undue pressure on Formula One teams in an effort to undermine the close ties between constructors, as the 2026 Concorde Agreement will determine the direction of the sport.
Additionally, Ferrari and Haas share parts, and the 2020 Racing Point vehicle received criticism for being too close to the Mercedes W10 from the previous season.
Although Racing Point was fined and deducted points in the constructors’ championship, the extent to which the existing regulations permit intimate relationships between teams has been the focus of criticism directed towards RB.
Do the rules serve their intended purpose? We have stated repeatedly why we are able to provide some components today,” Mekies continued. To prevent too much dispersion between the players on the top and bottom 2, 3, and 4 teams, we can exchange components. To ensure that we have a more viable business plan for the men at the bottom, we also share a few components.
And if we believe that the company is doing so well that we should ask each team to grow tomorrow, as there are currently between 500 and 600 individuals in Faenza.
Thus, the choice to suggest, for example, that F1 teams ought to be even larger because they ought to handle everything—suspensions, gearboxes, and power units—will be made at the Concorde Agreement level.
“To be that optimistic about the economics of the upcoming years feels strange.”
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