Formula One Has a Greed Problem
The last time a new F1 team joined the grid was in 2016 when we saw the addition of the Haas F1 Team, the first American constructor to compete since the 1986 season. Since then, the grid has looked more or less the same, and the barriers to entry have grown stronger by the year. That hasn’t stopped prospects from knocking on the door, though, including big names like Michael Andretti. But why is such a large motorsport brand being told time and again that there’s no room for them?
A prospective Andretti entry, one that would operate in tandem with Cadillac, would appear on the surface to be more of a boon for the series than a hinderance. However, those with a seat already at the table would tell you otherwise. Take Stefano Domeciali, for example. As one of the most powerful people in the sport, F1’s president and CEO has been outspoken on the matter of new entrants in the series and has done so in a way that makes his stance very clear: ten teams are more than enough.
In his appearance on F1’s ‘Beyond the Grid’ podcast, he elaborated on the subject.
“This is a very interesting question (what is the right number of teams) because there are different positions and there are also legal implications to what we have to say. I think to be honest, if the real value that it is bringing to the sport is important and is real and stable for the future, there is also another consideration that you have to take. If the contest is growing — which is what we can see today — I think 10 teams are more than enough to create the show or the business and the attention that we want to see on the track.
Team bosses have had their say as well, citing everything from cost, logistics, and even safety concerns as reasons why an 11th team shouldn’t be seen on the grid anytime soon. Among them has been Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who has suggested that more cars on the grid would make the field too crowded, and that circuits couldn’t safely support another team when it comes to paddock and pit lane accommodations.
Another issue that has teams apprehensive about this has to do with income sharing. There’s been plenty of opposition to having to share another piece of the prize money and income with a new team, which has led many to suggest that if someone wants to join the series, they must buy their way in. The problem with that, though, is that no one is selling. Michael Andretti has reportedly approached every F1 team about buying their outfit, to no avail.
One would think that a tandem that included a legendary name like Andretti and a big American manufacturer like Cadillac would be welcomed in F1 with open arms. The sport has unabashedly made big efforts to grow its footprint in the United States, going as far as scheduling three races in the country in 2023 (Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas). So why is there so much resistance to Andretti’s F1 ambitions? It’s become so clear that a new entry isn’t welcome that the idea of a $1 billion entry fee has even been floated around.
Other teams have expressed interest in joining the grid as well. As reported by The Athletic’s Luke Smith, Hitech Grand Prix has “confirmed it has applied to join the Formula 1 grid in 2026” with the help of Kazakh businessman Vladimir Kim, who has “acquired a 25 percent share” in Hitech Global Holdings Limited.’
Another proposed team at the moment is Formula Equal. Put forward by former BAR-boss Craig Pollock, the team would operate with a 50/50 split between men and women, with Saudi Arabia believed to be one of the project’s main financial backers (as if F1 doesn’t have it’s hands in that honey pot enough already).
It’s hard to say what will come of this gatekeeping mess until we get further down the road in the process. Typically, the FIA receives applications in an Expressions of Interest process before approving entries it deems fit for consideration. The rumour mill currently suggests that Andretti and Hitech’s applications seem most likely to be approved over others, which to me is no surprise. Of the names we’ve heard so far, those are two that have an existing infrastructure that could possibly best support F1 operations, as Andretti already has entries in countless racing series around the world, and Hitech currently competes in the FIA’s Formula Two and Formula Three championships.
Fans have expressed their displeasure on social media with the FIA's stance on this, as well as the stance held by all ten teams, and it will likely go down in history as another case study where politics rule the world in F1. If we know anything about that world, though, it’s that money talks, and those who have it will do anything to avoid sharing their windfalls with others, more matter how silly it makes them look.