Brown comments on concerns over conflict of interest in Formula 1

An open letter from McLaren CEO Zak Brown caused a stir in the Formula 1 world last week. The American called for anonymous voting for teams in order to tackle alleged conflicts of interest and influence between teams. In a new interview Brown explains his position in more detail.

Changes to the logistical and organisational side of Formula 1 often need to secure the agreement of a majority of teams before they actually come into effect. However, Zak Brown sees the close relationships between some teams on the grid creating conflicts of interest, as well as influence on smaller teams by big players.

"I've had more than one team on more than one occasion, as we talk during these meetings, [I’ll ask] how are you going to vote? And I'll get a response, 'But I've got no choice, I have to vote this way", Brown said, as quoted by Motorsport.com

As an example, Brown cites the votes of small teams for sky-high budget caps with amounts that the teams in question will never spend. Brown: "One example I'll give you is when we were going for the reduction in the budget cap. You had some teams that are close to the budget cap supporting a larger budget cap, which makes absolutely no sense." However, Brown does not want to name these teams, stating that making specific accusations is not his goal.