Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur has thrown his weight behind Red Bull and RB amidst the controversy surrounding team ownership and collaboration in F1.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown has spearheaded the debate against the close associations between the two entities on the F1 grid, expressing discontent over potential advantages facilitated by the heightened collaboration planned for this season.
Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, RB counterpart Laurent Mekies, and CEO Peter Bayer have all defended the partnership in the lead-up to the new season, notwithstanding Brown’s persistent opposition.
When asked for his perspective on the collaboration, Vasseur told media outlets, including RacingNews365: “I think there are two aspects: The first pertains to the ownership of the team, and the second concerns the technical regulations.”
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Inter-team relationships are commonplace across the grid, such as the alliance between Ferrari and Haas, with the latter utilising several components from the Maranello-based outfit.
“You could envision a collaboration even without being under the same ownership,” Vasseur added.
“There is a distinct line in the regulations, and it falls upon the FIA to determine if it’s clear-cut or not. In my view, it’s quite clear, and thus far, it has always been adhered to.”
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Red Bull’s ownership of the sister team stemmed from the demise of the Minardi outfit at the conclusion of the 2005 F1 season, and the team has been a stalwart supporter of the sport ever since.
Horner’s defence of the dual ownership made reference to multi-ownership models in football, prompting Vasseur to comment: “Regarding ownership, you can indeed draw parallels with extreme scenarios in football, such as the Champions League.”
“However, we must also remember that three or four years ago, we were immensely grateful for Red Bull’s presence in financing a team when we were facing difficulties.”