Analysis | Why is there still no word on new F1 teams?
General
- Ludo van Denderen
Slowly approaching the end of July and still there is no white smoke: first it was the end of April, then 15 May, then 30 June and finally mid-July that it would become clear whether Formula 1 will welcome new teams into their midst. One thing the persistent moving of the 'deadline' makes clear is that the process is not going as hoped. But what could be going on?
Several candidate teams announced their application to the FIA in recent months. Of some, you may sincerely wonder how real their candidacy really is, but Andretti Cadillac and Hitch Grand Prix seem - at least from the sidelines - serious contenders. Both Andretti with partner Cadillac and also Hitech have sufficient funding as well as the necessary facilities to get their own F1 team off the ground.
Formula 1 teams are not jumping for joy
In the past, some teams have entered Formula 1 with considerably less facilities than Andretti and Hitech. So why is it all taking so long? It is no secret that the current Formula 1 teams are not eager to add an eleventh - let alone a twelfth - team to the grid. The current F1 teams have done some simple maths: with an eleventh entrant added, Formula revenues have to be redistributed, leaving less for the current teams.
Several team bosses have recently expressed their openness to a new team, provided that team ensures that the pie gets bigger for everyone. In other words, that new team must provide more revenue for F1 as a whole. If it does, then they are more than welcome. If it doesn't, then F1 would rather forgo even Andretti, which has the backing of one of the biggest car manufacturers (General Motors/Cadillac) in the world.
Financial boost for F1
It is likely that Andretti and Hitech are doing everything in the background to demonstrate - or ensure - that their entry will result in a financial boost for F1 as a whole. It is guess, but the F1 teams seem to be giving them room to do so and not necessarily rejecting their entry. After all, the current teams also have something to gain here. Because yes, they do manage to generate more revenue thanks to an extra team, they would be crazy not to bite.
In the background, there is another interesting fact. As mentioned, the teams and Formula One Management [FOM] have reservations, while the FIA, through its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, is in favour of grid expansion. Ben Sulayem recently said he saw no reason to refuse General Motors, provided they fully comply with the regulations drawn up. When it is finally announced whether a team can join Formula 1 - and if so which one - it will also make it clear how big a say the president of the international motorsport federation actually has.