Red Bull Racing has firmly denied claims that its sister team, Racing Bulls, is providing on-track assistance during the 2026 Formula 1® season. This assertion comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the relationship between the two teams, especially given their shared ownership and the complex regulations governing team cooperation in the sport.
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing’s Team Principal, emphasized that strict FIA regulations and self-imposed rules prevent any form of coordinated on-track help between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls. Mekies pointed to several race incidents where Racing Bulls drivers actively defended their positions against Red Bull Racing drivers, suggesting genuine competition rather than cooperation.
Throughout the early rounds of the 2026 season, including the Australian, Chinese, Japanese, and Miami Grands Prix, Racing Bulls drivers such as Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson have shown aggressive defensive driving against Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. For example, Lindblad’s firm defence in Australia and Japan, even resulting in a black-and-white warning flag for aggressive driving in Japan, illustrates the competitive nature of their battles. The Miami GP saw a controversial moment when Lawson was instructed to let Verstappen pass after a collision, but Lawson later described this as a team mistake rather than a planned cooperation.
While personnel movements and the potential transfer of intellectual property between the two teams remain points of discussion within the paddock, Mekies maintains that on-track cooperation is minimal or non-existent so far this season. He has invited observers to examine the on-track battles closely, highlighting that Racing Bulls drivers have not shown any willingness to yield to Red Bull Racing cars easily.
The debate around common ownership and team cooperation has been reignited recently by interest from Mercedes and Toto Wolff in Alpine shares, which led to McLaren CEO Zak Brown raising concerns with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. Despite this, no concrete evidence has emerged to suggest illicit collaboration between Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls during races.
Any definitive test of cooperation between the two teams is expected to arise later in the season when championship stakes are higher and rival teams will scrutinize every detail. For now, the examples from the first part of the 2026 season support Mekies’ stance that Racing Bulls competes independently on track, adhering to the regulations and internal policies set by Red Bull Racing.
