Trouble is seemingly brewing in the Formula 1 paddock, with a “strong majority” of the current teams still firmly against expanding the grid, with serious interest from multiple parties having been recognised by the FIA.
The most notable of the lot is Andretti Global, who have been given support by the FIA to create an all-American team with Cadillac, who are a division of American manufacturer General Motors.
Andretti Global have been pushing relentlessly to get a team on the grid, with their initial attempt in 2022 having been rejected.
However, their new proposal is one that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is seemingly a fan of, with the president being keen for Formula 1 to welcome new teams to the grid.
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According to motorsport reporter Adam Stern, though, a “senior F1 team figure” is seriously against the grid expanding and is sceptical about General Motors real motive for joining the sport.
“A senior [@F1] team figure told Reuters on Friday that a ‘strong majority’ of the teams were against expanding the grid,” wrote Stern on Twitter.
“The same figure also suggested the General Motors involvement was more of a ‘badging exercise’ than a full manufacturer commitment.”
Formula 1’s reaction to the Andretti-Cadillac proposal has been frosty to say the least, with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali having previously explained that expanding the grid wasn’t a “priority”.
Ben Sulayem has been surprised by the championship’s response to the potential American side and has called for the sport and its teams to be “encouraging prospective F1 entries”.
“It is surprising that there has been some adverse reaction to the @Cadillac and @FollowAndretti news,” Ben Sulayem wrote.
“The @FIA has accepted the entries of smaller, successful organisations in recent years. We should be encouraging prospective F1 entries from global manufacturers like @GM and thoroughbred racers like Andretti and others.
“Interest from teams in growth markets adds diversity and broadens @F1’s appeal.”
The senior figure who spoke to Reuters is also against the $200 million entry fee that General Motors would have to pay, with that sum being too low, according to them.
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Allowing a new team into the sport is no quick process and will likely take months, with 2026 supposedly set to be the year when new teams can join the grid, according to insiders.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has been one of the most vocal F1 team figures in regard to a new outfit joining the grid, with the Austrian seemingly against new arrivals.
“The value of Formula One is that it’s a limited amount of franchises and we don’t want to dilute that value by just adding teams,” Wolff said during last May’s Miami Grand Prix.