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The FIA says applications will be based upon “rigorous financial and technical analysis”, and will also require illustrations of how prospective new teams would manage sustainability challenges and achieve a “positive societal impact” through participating
Last Updated: 02/02/23 1:57pm
The FIA has officially launched an application process for new teams to join Formula 1 from 2025.
World motorsport’s governing body says applications will be based upon “rigorous financial and technical analysis,” and will also require illustrations of how prospective new teams would manage sustainability challenges and achieve a “positive societal impact” through participating.
Thursday’s announcement comes amid an ongoing public discord between FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and representatives of F1 teams over acceptable terms for the grid to be expanded.
An FIA statement said: “The FIA welcomes interest from entities with a serious intent to enter the FIA Formula One World Championship. The high level of interest from a number of potential candidates is further proof of the popularity and growth of the Championship.
“All applicants will undergo thorough due diligence. The assessment of each application will cover in particular the technical capabilities and resources of the applicant team, the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the Championship at a competitive level and the team’s experience and human resources.”
Members of F1’s 10 current teams have suggested that the $200m fee a new entrant would have to pay under the current regulations fails to recognise the sport’s huge recent growth and would leave them worse off.
After recent attempts by American racing team Andretti to pursue a 2026 entrance to the sport, Ben Sulayem expressed his “surprise” at the “adverse reaction” from current F1 teams, while Michael Andretti accused them of “greed”.
The incident highlighted an uneasy relationship between Ben Sulayem’s FIA, who govern the sport, and F1, who own the commercial rights and have the ultimate say on a new team being accepted.
“The overall long-term interests of the Championship, involving all stakeholders, will determine which candidates are selected together with the applicable regulations and governance arrangements,” the FIA statement added.
The announcement could be construed as evidence of progress being made between the FIA and F1, with relations understood to have improved since last week when Ben Sulayem was accused of “unacceptable” interference in the alleged sale of the sport.
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Craig Slater says there are ‘positive conversations’ between Formula 1 and its governing body after Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s leadership was questioned.
After reports of a $20bn (£16.3bn) Saudi Arabian bid to buy the rights from F1 owners Liberty Media, Ben Sulayem raised concerns about the potential consequences of an “inflated” takeover – such as higher ticket prices for fans if the new owners tried to recoup their investment.
Sky Sports News’s Craig Slater said on Wednesday: “We revealed last week that the leadership at F1 felt that FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had made a major overstep by commenting on what he thought the worth of F1 was.
“The FIA, the governing body, does not have a day-to-day commercial role in the running of the sport and F1 subsequently sent a letter to the FIA making it very clear that they thought was an unacceptable thing for the president of the FIA to do.
“I can reveal to you that no reply has come from the FIA to F1, but I can also say that positive conversations continue between the two institutions, so they’re functioning normally – as they need to be to keep the sport operating properly.”
More to follow…
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