Racing Bulls hit back at Zak Brown claims to FIA

Alan Permane has robustly defended Racing Bulls' deep relationship with Red Bull following criticism from McLaren CEO Zak Brown in a letter to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Brown has long been a vocal critic of dual ownership of teams within F1, with Red Bull GmbH currently owning both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls.

Earlier this month, Brown opted to write to Ben Sulayem, notably highlighting recent instances of where Racing Bulls appeared to have damaged the sporting integrity of F1 through actions to aid the senior Red Bull team.

Additionally, Brown also highlighted the transfer of staff between the two teams, showcasing Laurent Mekies' immediate switch from Racing Bulls to Red Bull to become team principal in July last year following the sacking of Christian Horner.

Ordinarily, a team hiring from a rival has to wait a considerable period of time before a new employee can join.

Brown indicated he would like to hold discussions with Ben Sulayem on the subject.

Permane has conceded that there is a benefit for Racing Bulls in some regards, but on track, they abide by the rules at all times.

"Do we feel the benefit? I certainly feel the benefit of being part of the Red Bull family and coming under the Austria-Red Bull corporate projects group," said Permane, speaking to the media, including RacingNews365.

"Our relationship with Red Bull Racing is very much a customer-supplier relationship. We take some suspension from them, we take gearboxes from them, and various other components that are allowed under the technical regulations, which we follow very rigorously."

Referencing his many years of service at 'Team Enstone' in its many guises, Permane highlighted the key difference between working with an 'independent' team and one with an affiliation to a 'sister' outfit.   

"Actually, I have to say, having worked at a team where we don’t have that relationship at all, and now with a team where we do have it, a lot of work goes into ensuring that we are respecting those rules," insisted Permane.

"So, a lot of effort that could be put into other areas is put into ensuring that we respect those regulations. So, I don’t see any issue with the way we operate currently."