The expansion of the Formula 1 grid is something that has been discussed for a number of years, with the result always being that keeping the grid the same size is the best option.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has always been adamant that it would be the wrong decision to destabilise the grid by adding another team, but FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem appears to see it differently.
The 61-year-old has expressed his support for the Andretti-Cadillac project on Twitter, claiming that the addition of motorsport giants such as Andretti and General Motors would be nothing but a positive for Formula 1.
It has been reported that current F1 bosses such as Christian Horner and Toto Wolff would be able to block the expansion of the grid, as they have a say in approving a new entrant to the sport.
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Wolff has expressed his concern about expanding the grid, claiming that it would be very difficult to make the project profitable.
“I mean, each of the organisations that’s sitting here on the podium has probably put more than a billion into the Formula One projects over the years,” he said.
“So it needs to be accretive. If a team comes in, how can you demonstrate that you’re bringing in more money than it’s actually costing, because the 11th team means a ten percent dilution for everybody else.”
Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle has disagreed with Wolff however, revealing that he is open to expanding the grid, should the situation be right.
“Getting more teams in is a logistical thing as well as a financial aspect, you know, will they fit in the pit lane, the paddock, on the grid? How many cars do we need?” Brundle said.
“I think 24 cars will be great personally, we’ve got 29 races this season, 23 Grand Prix and six spring races with 20 cars on the grid.
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“I don’t think it’s quite enough of a show personally, and opportunity. But if you look at the Ford thing, it’s a halfway house really, it’s an interesting one. Red Bull had Infiniti on for a while, then it had Aston Martin on the side of it for a while before Aston got their own team, so this is a branding thing.”
Should Andretti-Cadillac want to enter F1, approval would have to be given from the FIA and F1, making the situation very complex.
There is currently a divide between these two parties, with Formula 1 refusing to budge on the previous stance of their CEO Stefano Domenicali, despite the FIA’s desire to expand the grid.