FORMULA ONE is exploring the possibility of EXPANDING to more than ten teams in a major shake up, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has confirmed.
The sport currently has ten teams and 20 drivers on the grid for the 23-race 2023 season.
There was supposed to be 24 races – an F1 record – but the Chinese Grand Prix was cancelled and replacements are being considered.
But major shock shake ups could be coming to F1, with FIA president Ben Sulayem confirming they are exploring EXPANDING the grid to more than ten teams.
Ben Sulayem posted on Twitter: “I have asked my @FIA team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA @F1 World Championship.”
US-owned Haas are the most recent completely new F1 team to enter the sport, debuting in 2016.
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However, F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali said last September that the sport did not need more than ten teams.
Domenicali told Sky F1 during the Dutch GP: “As always, you need to be balanced.
“You need to see all the things that are around the table. Having more drivers… at the end of the day there is always a limit at which you can go.
“Adding one or two, you may open up some driving seats. But we need to also have the right dimension in what is successful for the sport.
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“I think in that respect there is the evaluation of the sustainability of the team, the evaluation of not being too crowded with that.
“So I would say in terms of priority, it is not really a need for Formula 1 today.”
F1 has a £166million entry fee and Domenicali has stressed that teams need to have the finances firstly, while also having the competence to keep a team running.
He added: “Now Formula 1 is extremely competitive but you need to be very strong in terms of financials, in terms of competence, and today this is one of the things that is crucial, to make sure the stability of the system will be for a long time.”
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
