FIA President: Formula 1 is ready for an increase in the number of teams! But why is it so difficult to enter F1 these days?

Will there be an increase in the number of teams in Formula 1 in the coming years? This question has been hanging in the air for quite some time now and has a lot of context attached to it. Be it sporting, marketing or purely political. But the FIA President wants to create a process that will make it easier for teams to enter the queen of motorsport.

The president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has said in the last few dozen hours that the queen of motorsport is ready for an increase in the number of teams.

It should be noted their numbers have varied greatly throughout F1’s history. Since the new millennium we have had nine, ten, eleven or even twelve teams in the Constructors’ Cup at various times.

Nine teams took part in the 2000 edition. One more team then featured in the following season, and one more stable joined F1 in 2002. However, ten teams were active in Formula One from 2003 to 2005, and eleven from 2006 to 2008.

The 2009 season saw ten teams, while the 2010 to 2012 seasons saw a further expansion of two stables. In 2013, 2014 and 2016, the number of competitors was reduced to 11, while the 2015 season saw “only” ten teams. Since 2017, the number of stables has stabilized at 10.

Ben Sulayem on starting the process

And now there is talk of expanding the starting field again. In fact, Ben Sulayem said on his Twitter account that he is in talks to start a process that could lead to an increase in the number of teams.

“I’ve asked my team within the FIA to look at starting a process to express interest in new teams entering the F1 World Championship,” reads his above attached Twitter post.

The latest new teams

The latest brand new team to enter F1 is American Haas. It debuted in 2016, when F1 had 11 teams in the starting field until the demise of Manor Racing before the start of the 2017 season.

And it was Manor that was one of the three new, now defunct, teams that entered F1 in 2010.

American Andretti, for example, has long been keen to enter the world of the queen of motorsport, which would add another American flag to the F1 flagpole after Haas. But entering F1 is not nearly as easy, primarily because of the financial aspect.

Andretti and the Concorde Agreement

Indeed, Andretti’s successful entry into F1 has been hindered by several teams that have refused to join. And on what basis?

There is the so-called Concorde Agreement, according to which each new entrant must pay a fee of $200 million to join, with the money shared by the existing teams as compensation.

The current version of the “Concorde Agreement” between the teams, the FIA and Formula One also stipulates that the 10 teams split their share of the revenue from the sport and any new entrant would dilute the fund. Moreover, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali recently said that Formula 1 doesn’t even need any new teams.

Sources