Formula 1 Faces Showdown over Admission of New Teams

A showdown between the Formula 1 teams and the world association Fia is approaching. The Fia President seems to want to push through the inclusion of new racing teams.

Spa-Francorchamps – The tricky showdown over the expansion of the starting field threatens to spoil Formula 1’s summer vacation.

With a final warning, the head of the world association Fia sent the resisters in the paddock into the final laps before the holiday break. “It is clear to me that the Fia has to respect the treaties, we are regulated by the EU. We cannot manipulate anything,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. He wants to announce his decision to add one or even two more teams in the next few weeks.

Against the will of many racing teams, who do not want to share the growing billion-dollar business with other rivals, the Fia president seems to want to push through an expansion. His argument: The basic contract signed by all parties leaves room for up to twelve teams. “If a team is interested and our rules allow it, how can we say no,” he told the specialist portal “formula.hu”.

It’s “about big names and a lot of money,” said Ben Sulayem. The 61-year-old brushed aside the suggestion recently renewed by several team bosses that interested parties could take over one of the ten existing racing teams. “If a big team wants to get into Formula 1, we can’t say: buy yourself from a stable or you can’t come. I think that’s wrong.”

Cadillac entry in full swing

In particular, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff should feel addressed. At the beginning of the month, the Austrian reaffirmed the position of the opponents of expansion. No major sports league would open the door to newcomers so easily and let them share the prize money, Wolff warned. “Something like that only dilutes the entire league,” said the 51-year-old, noting: “What we’ve seen so far hasn’t convinced the teams.”

The world association has received at least five applications for entry from 2025 or later. The US project by ex-racing driver Michael Andretti with General Motors subsidiary Cadillac is likely to have the greatest impact. “A great added value for Formula 1” would be this team, assured GM Motorsport Director Eric Warren on NBC. The construction of the Andretti Cadillac racing team for the 2025 season is already in full swing, “because we are running out of time”.

The English racing team Hitech has gained the Kazakh billionaire Vladimir Kim, who has mainly earned his money in the copper business, as an investor for its Formula 1 plans. The Russian Dmitri Masepin was previously a donor there, but he is now affected by EU sanctions because of the war in Ukraine.

Other contenders are the Rodin Carlin racing team, which wants to build its cars in New Zealand, and the Lky Sunz company, which is supported with money from Asia. The Formula Equal project, which is funded from the Gulf region, has probably also applied. It advertises that half of the jobs should be given to women.

Balanced CO2 balance required

Each candidate must demonstrate their long-term value for Formula 1 to the Fia. Motorsport experience, financial strength and an existing infrastructure are required. The applicants should also prove their contribution to achieving a balanced CO2 balance of the racing series in 2030. In addition, an entry fee of 200 million dollars (around 180 million euros) will be due in the event of admission.

This sum is one of the points of contention. Given the recent boom in Formula 1, the opposition believe the amount is far too small because it would not reflect the value of a starting place. After all, experts themselves now assign a value of around 700 million euros to the chronically unsuccessful Haas team. According to Forbes magazine, Scuderia Ferrari, the biggest name in the racing series, is worth around 3.5 billion euros.

“There is already a lot of interest in Formula 1. I don’t think the arrival of new teams would increase interest,” said Formula 1 Managing Director Stefano Domenicali. The power test with the Fia President will soon be on the agenda. He understands the concerns of the current teams and doesn’t want to upset anyone, Ben Sulayem said. “I’m here to do the right thing for the sport.” But there are probably very different views between the pit lane and the back room as to what exactly that is. dpa