FIA boss ‘surprised’ at ‘adverse reaction’ to Andretti’s F1 bid with Cadillac

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has expressed his “surprise” at supposed “adverse reaction” to Andretti’s bid to join F1 with Cadillac.

The partnership between the two American automotive giants, with General Motors represented by their luxury brand Cadillac, was announced last week - the potential team would be based in the USA with a support facility in the UK.

The announcement came after Ben Sulayem revealed the FIA are looking into the prospect of increasing the number of teams in Formula 1 beyond the current tally of 10, amid the sport’s worldwide boom in popularity.

An entry from Andretti-Cadillac is unlikely to feature before 2026, with any new team needing sign-off from both the FIA and Formula 1, yet Ben Sulayem tweeted his criticism - without specifying who he was referring to or what was the topic of contention - of actors not in favour of new teams from “growth markets.”

“It is surprising that there has been some adverse reaction to the Cadillac and Andretti news,” he said. “The FIA has accepted the entries of smaller, successful oranisations in recent years. We should be encouraging prospective F1 entries from global manufacturers like General Motors and thoroughbred racers like Andretti and others. Interest from teams in growth markets adds diversity and broadens F1’s appeal.”

It is thought that the clash in opinion comes from Formula 1’s initial apprehension at the prospect of extending the grid beyond 10 teams. Any new entrant currently has to pay a $200m entry fee - under the latest Concorde Agreement - which would be split between existing teams in order to protect their revenues.

In a statement in response to the Andretti-Cadillac announcement, F1 stated last week: “There is great interest in the F1 project at this time with a number of conversations continuing that are not as visible as others.

“We all want to ensure the championship remains credible and stable and any new entrant request will be assessed on criteria to meet those objectives by all the relevant stakeholders. Any new entrant request requires the agreement of both F1 and the FIA.”

Andretti’s press release last week added that the prospective team will submit a formal “Expression of Interest” once the FIA open their process, while the team would compete with at least one American driver should their bid be successful.

Colton Herta, one of Andretti’s IndyCar driver who missed out on an F1 seat this year due to not having the requisite superlicence points, would be the frontrunner.

F1 is growing in appeal worldwide as illustrated by the record 24-race calendar this year - including three races in the United States for the first time as Las Vegas joins Austin and Miami - and that growth has triggered interest from afar to join the current 10-team grid.

Ben Sulayem, who took over as FIA boss at the beginning of last year, has opened the door for interested parties to reveal their interest.

Audi have announced their entry into Formula 1 from 2026 when new regulations come into force, though they are effectively taking the place of Sauber/Alfa Romeo on the grid.

Porsche were similarly looking into a deal with current world champions Red Bull but talks broke down last summer.

The 2023 season, which currently has a mid-April slot to fill as a result of the Chinese Grand Prix’s cancellation, starts in Bahrain on March 5.