In motorsport, a violent row could ensue between the FIA and Formula 1, which could, in the worst case, last for years. This is what “Sport1” reports. The background is the dispute over the entry of an eleventh team into F1.
The TV station quotes an unnamed “insider” according to whom there is already a crunch between F1 and FIA at executive level. “Stefano Domenicali (Formula 1 CEO, editor) and FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem are like cats and dogs.”
The FIA, as the framework “legislator” of international motorsport, recently waved through Andretti’s application for a starting place as the eleventh Formula 1 team. Formula 1 briefly said that they now wanted to examine the Andretti project for its “added value” for the racing series – which, in the eyes of FIA boss Sulayem, is nevertheless there.
The American former racing driver and entrepreneur Michael Andretti (who already runs an IndyCar team) wants to enter Formula 1 together with General Motors and its luxury brand Cadillac in 2025. The ten teams so far are resisting the plans with might and main. For them, an additional team would mean that they get less of the big money cake that the booming F1 is currently baking.
Only Alpine is open to the idea that the French factory team could supply Andretti with engines until GM/Cadillac itself is capable of doing so.
The point of contention is the entry fee that Andretti has to pay to get his F1 ticket. According to the Concorde Agreement concluded in 2020 and valid until the end of 2025 between the FIA, Formula 1 and the ten teams, this amounts to $200 million for newcomers. When a new racing team joins, this sum should be divided among the ten teams in order to compensate for the lower income per team.
Formula 1: Teams want to deter newcomers
$200 million shouldn’t be a problem for Andretti and General Motors. However, the ten teams argue that the $200 million agreed in 2020 is no longer appropriate given the huge boom in Formula 1 in recent years. The value of Formula 1 and the teams has increased massively. The sum that was once fixed no longer fulfills its purpose – to protect the value of the teams.
According to several media reports, the top dogs are demanding a signing fee of $600 million – which is intended to deter Andretti and all other potential newcomers.
While an eleventh team is in the interests of the sport for the FIA, the ten teams are categorically rejecting the idea out of fear of losing their money, while the Formula 1 bosses want to decide for themselves who will take part in their series and who will not. “Sport1” quotes a (different or the same) insider who warns: “There will be a power struggle. It could also end in a long-term court dispute. The loser will be sport.”