Red Bull Racing team principal Laurent Mekies has rejected suggestions that sister team Racing Bulls provides on-track help, pointing to multiple 2026 season battles as evidence.
Mekies spoke after the Barcelona Grand Prix, insisting the teams race independently under strict FIA rules on personnel transfers and intellectual property. He invited scrutiny of early-season races where Red Bull's car lacked competitiveness.
In Australia, rookie Arvid Lindblad defended against Max Verstappen without yielding position easily. Similar hard-fought duels occurred in China, where Liam Lawson and Lindblad resisted overtakes from the four-time champion.
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix featured intense racing among four Red Bull-owned cars at Suzuka. Lindblad received a warning flag after aggressive defending against Isack Hadjar, with Hadjar's engineer stating the team would report the incident.
A Miami incident drew attention when Racing Bulls instructed Lawson to return a position to Verstappen. Lawson later described it as a team error in reviewing the on-track contact, not deliberate cooperation.
Mekies noted no further notable interactions in Monaco, Canada or Barcelona beyond routine passes. Zak Brown of McLaren has previously raised concerns about common ownership structures in Formula 1.
