In an extensive article on the McLaren website, Brown said that the controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi and the decisions made at the time prove that there is something fundamentally wrong with the day-to-day management of Formula 1 as a sport.
In addition, Brown also believes that some teams are taking the sport hostage by not going along with what is best for F1 fans, but mainly thinking of their own interests. Brown cites the budget ceiling as an example, on which the teams finally reached an agreement after years of discussion, but which is still regularly under discussion.
Apologies
“Some teams are still looking for excuses to raise the budget cap so they can win the world championship with money,” Brawn said. “Some teams continue to lobby to increase the budget because of the introduction of the sprint races which would cause additional damage and costs.”
He continues: “Formula 1’s initiative to organize sprint races has brought in new viewers and the worldwide fan base has grown. However, there are teams that continue to ask for more money and a higher budget cap, even though there is clear evidence that there was not much damage in the past year. They want to maintain their competitive advantage.”
Criticism of B-teams
Brawn also criticizes the so-called B-teams that run the top teams, or teams they work very closely with. For example, think of Red Bull that has a B-team with AlphaTauri, or Mercedes and Ferrari that work closely with several other teams.
According to Brawn, there are also regulatory issues and it is not clear who sets the rules, is it the FIA or is it the teams?
Not acceptable
“It is clear that some of the rules and the way they are enforced are not acceptable,” Brawn said. “Nobody likes the inconsistency in enforcement, but it is often exploited by teams to their own advantage.”
To conclude: „I have said before that the teams have too much power and that it has to be curtailed. The teams have an incredibly big and important role in drawing up the rules for Formula 1 but we are not always driven by what is best for the sport.”