F1 News
RB on criticism: 'There is nothing special about Red Bull cooperation'
- Sandy van Wijngaarden
Laurent Mekies has said that there is nothing special about the help Visa Cash App RB have from their sister team Red Bull Racing. Both teams were criticised for their collaboration, with it being one of the more controversial topics in the paddock. However, the team boss has responded to the criticism.
Laurent Mekies, RB's team boss, told Autosport that parts sharing is not a new rule, but has been allowed in Formula 1 for at least 15 years. According to him, because Red Bull Racing was so dominant in 2023, other teams started making difficulties at the start of 2024.
Still, according to the Frenchman, there is no magic in parts sharing. After all, it is not that RB could suddenly compete for the world title.
Mekies responds to VCARB and Red Bull cooperation criticism
"It's not a new regulation. It's been there for 15 years, and you have never seen guys that will be taking these items from somebody else, suddenly fighting for the championship, or fighting for the top three or the top four, it just never happened," Mekies said.
According to the Racing Bulls team boss, this rule is there so that the field can actually become competitive and not be too divided. In 2024, RB finished in eighth place with 46 points versus Red Bull in third place with 589 points.
McLaren in particular talked about it being unfair for teams to swap parts, mainly concerned with Visa Cash App RB getting parts from Red Bull Racing. Despite this criticism, the collaboration has only grown closer for the upcoming season. In 2025, RB and Red Bull will have the same Honda engine, the same gearbox and the same front and rear suspension.
There are more teams sharing parts besides Red Bull and RB, though. For instance, few teams develop their own engines anyway. McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams raced Mercedes engines in 2024. Haas and Stake drove a Ferrari engine. Only Alpine developed its own engine with Renault, but that project has also come to an end.
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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