Since Mohammed Ben Sulayem became the president of the FIA late in 2021, Formula 1 has seen slow but steady improvements.
The biggest impact of Ben Sulayem’s reign so far is the improved investigation process, as the 61-year-old was immediately forced to deal with the fallout from the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Ben Sulayem has admitted that this investigation process was not open enough to fans so when more controversy unfolded at the Japanese Grand Prix last season, a quick and transparent investigation was quickly concluded.
The FIA president has now revealed that he is looking into a major change in Formula 1, as he announced on Twitter that he is entertaining the idea of adding more teams to the grid.
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“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,” he posted on Twitter.
Formula 1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has previously suggested that an expanding of the F1 grid is not something that is needed, quickly shutting down Michael Andretti’s plans to join the sport with Andretti Global.
Billionaire Calvin-Lo has also admitted that he would love to create a Formula 1 team and join the grid in the near future, as the major changes in engine regulations that will come into effect in 2026 provide the perfect opportunity for a new team to enter the sport.
Audi will become part of F1 in 2026 when these rules do change, however they will be completing a takeover of Sauber rather than joining the grid as an additional team.
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Calvin Lo has admitted that this may be the only way he could possibly join the sport, claiming that he has had discussions with multiple teams on the grid about a potential takeover and change of ownership.
The most likely candidate for a takeover, should Ben Sulayem’s plan not come to fruition, would be AlphaTauri, as the passing of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz has led to suggestions that Red Bull’s sister team could come up for sale as the energy drink giants look to focus on a single team.
Haas team principal has expressed his distaste for the FIA president’s idea, claiming that all a new team on the grid would do is hinder the financial aspect of the sport and further split the revenue of the current teams on the grid.