This has got my curiosity piqued a bit and whilst it’s less technical I would like to pose this question.
There are, I think, 3 teams that anyone will accept are works teams. Ferrari, Renault, Mercedes.
There is a big hoohah that next year, when RP becomes Aston Martin, it will be a “works” outfit - as Aston Martin’s works team. Some would also call Red Bull the Honda “works” team.
So what exactly is the definition? Obviously, teams like Williams, Haas, and AlphaTauri are obvious non-works outfits.
So... McLaren, Red Bull, AlfaRomeo.
What makes a team a works outfit? in the past I thought if a team makes its own engine + car, it’s a works outfit. Red Bull is partnered with their engine supplier and would as such be more of a works team. But McLaren is also a car manufacturer- albeit an engine customer. Aston would be in the same boat - they would use Mercedes engines, and build their own chassis. So why is Aston going to be called a works team, and McLaren not?