We tried to buy an existing team, but those opportunities don't seem so clear anymore. In conversation with the American updates everyone on the latest developments: 'Currently, we have already lost a few opportunities. However, were an 11 th or 12 th team join the grid, that spread would become more diluted, which is why the $200m fee for new entries has been put in place and a waiver would require all 10 teams to agree.Michael Andretti will lead the team, but F1 world champion and great racing driver Mario Andretti will undoubtedly have a lot to do with the team. In 2020 the prize money allocation was reworked to give a more even spread of the prize money, which should help all teams remain competitive. The last team to join the F1 grid was Haas, who debuted in 2016 but have yet to score a podium, though the team did claim their first pole in Brazil with Kevin Magnussen in 2022. Since Manor’s demise at the end of 2016, the F1 grid has consisted of 20 cars. Avoiding the 2010 mistakesį1 and the FIA will be keen to avoid a repeat of 2010, when three new teams joined the grid, Virgin Racing, Lotus and HRT, which took the grid up to 24 cars, after Toyota had pulled out in 2009.Īll three teams were woefully uncompetitive and struggled financially, with the trio all defunct by 2017.

It is believed however that F1’s stakeholders are chasing the names of manufacturers following the announcement of Audi joining in 2026.

The news is positive for the Andretti Autosport group, who have been making noises about joining F1 for several months.Īnd while it is a step in the right direction with regard to opening up the grid, there is still a long way to go before any formal applications can be made and even then, there is still the $200m “buy-in” to be paid to the current competitors.Īndretti, who attempted to buy into the Alfa Romeo-Sauber team, has been steadfast in their claims that they are ready to join the F1 grid, with double F1 World Champion Mario Andretti, and father of Andretti Autosport owner Michael, going as far as to say the team is ready to pay the $200m.

I have asked my team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA World Championship- Mohammed Ben Sulayem January 2, 2023

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