Michael Andretti would like to start with his own team in Formula 1 – but there is no majority among the ten current racing teams. The world motorsport association FIA starts an official procedure anyway.
The world automobile association FIA has officially started its controversial application process for new Formula 1 racing teams. All applicants such as the Andretti family would be subjected to a thorough examination, it said in a statement. But that doesn’t mean for sure that there will be eleven or twelve teams instead of the previous ten.
“In evaluating each bid, particular consideration will be given to the bid team’s technical skills and resources, the team’s ability to raise and maintain sufficient financial resources to enable participation in the Championship at a competitive level, and the team’s experience and human resources taken into account,” said the FIA. In addition, applicants should explain, among other things, how they want to make their team climate-neutral by 2030.
“The growth and appeal of the FIA Formula One World Championship is unprecedented,” said FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem. The 61-year-old recently said that the “maximum” for Formula 1 was “twelve teams”. That’s why now is the right time for new interested parties to officially apply for a place in the starting field. “For the first time ever, as part of the selection criteria, we are requiring candidates to demonstrate how they intend to meet the FIA’s sustainability standards and how they would make a positive social impact through sport,” said Ben Sulayem.
Ex-racing driver Michael Andretti had announced that he wanted to set up a new racing team together with the car manufacturer Cadillac. However, the majority of the ten established teams are apparently opposed to newcomers, because then their share of the billions in revenue could initially decrease. However, Ben Sulayem had signaled his support for the US project early on.
There was unmistakable resistance from the top dogs to these FIA plans, because: In Formula 1, income is distributed in the form of prize money and fixed amounts, which are divided by ten. If a new team is added, everyone gets less of the cake. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said in an interview that “ultimately it comes down to the question of who pays for it” that there is an eleventh racing team on the grid.
Formula 1 is currently experiencing a boom worldwide. On March 5, world champions Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Co. start the new season in Bahrain, with 23 races it will be the most extensive in history. Ten teams and 20 drivers, including Nico Hülkenberg im Haas as the only German, take part in the billion dollar spectacle. Sebastian Vettel has ended his career, Mick Schumacher has found a job as a reserve and test driver at Mercedes and could also be used temporarily at McLaren.