Red Bull could be forced to sell Racing Bulls if FIA change F1 ownership rules

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Red Bull may have to sell Racing Bulls if the FIA take measures against dual ownership in F1, according to The Times.

Red Bull have owned the Faenza-based team since late 2005 when they bought forerunners Minardi. They have used the relationship to blood academy drivers like Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.

Inevitably, the relationship has raised some questions about sporting integrity. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has perhaps been the leading critic without outright demanding an FIA ban.

What are your thoughts on Red Bull’s relationship with Racing Bulls?

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Mohammed Ben Sulayem says the FIA are ‘looking into’ multi-team ownership

Speaking to outlets including The Times, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed that the sport’s governing body are evaluating whether they need to impose restrictions on dual ownership in F1.

It’s unclear exactly what form such regulations would take, but Ben Sulayem made clear that he is personally opposed to the Red Bull/Racing Bulls arrangement.

He said: “I do believe that owning two is not the right way, this is my personal point of view, but we are looking into that because it’s a complicated area.”

The report adds that, for ‘several months’ now, there have been rumours that Red Bull may ‘eventually’ be forced to sell Racing Bulls if the FIA or F1 change their position.

They would clearly be most affected, but it’s also worth noting that Mercedes are keen to buy a stake in Alpine, so that deal could theoretically be blocked too.

Red Bull will have an obvious suitor if they have to sell Racing Bulls

Based on a report last year, Red Bull have already rejected a £1.1bn bid for Racing Bulls. Considering that they only paid around £20m for Minardi, the potential for profit is enormous.

But if the goal was solely to make money, then the sale could have happened long ago. The two teams have been aligned for nearly 20 years, giving Red Bull an invaluable talent development route.

Chinese manufacturer BYD are looking to buy an F1 team, so they will be attentive to any potential opening, even if there have been no concrete links with Racing Bulls at this stage.

As it stands, the F1 regulations stipulate that every team must operate as a separate entity, but the ongoing review could lead to stricter rules.