Ben Sulayem has emphasized that the FIA had a responsibility to initiate a registration procedure, as stated in the Concorde Agreement which permits a maximum of 12 teams. He has maintained that he complied with the regulations by taking this action.
The authority is currently evaluating the proposals submitted by the prospective new members.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of F1, has consistently stated that any additional team joining the sport must bring something beneficial to it. This viewpoint is shared by other team principals and supported by Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media.
“I believe Stefano and I share a similar perspective, which is that we have a total of 10 exceptional teams, and we are highly enthusiastic about their accomplishments,” stated Maffei during a conversation with financial analysts from Wall Street.
“There was a process to add more teams, but the bar is very high. And it’s unclear what value an 11th team would add. And there is a lot of uncertainty among the other teams about an 11th team.
“We have engaged in fruitful conversations with the FIA regarding all of this. While we may not always see eye to eye on every aspect, we engage in discussions and strive to find resolutions.”
Daniel Ricciardo, AlphaTauri AT04, Kevin Magnussen, Haas VF-23
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Domenicali maintained that a resolution will ultimately be achieved with the FIA regarding the addition of an 11th team, indicating that a response can be expected in the upcoming month.
“The FIA initiated the procedure, as it is within their capability,” stated the Italian. “We are anticipating the ultimate outcome.”
“But, as is customary in this conversation, we will reach a consensus together, since, as [Maffei] stated, the teams’ worth and the business’s current value are exceedingly robust.”
“I anticipate that decision or information will be revealed in the near future, specifically during the month of September.”
Domenicali also mentioned that discussions regarding the upcoming Concorde Agreement, set to commence in 2026, are already in progress.
He stated that currently, discussions are progressing well due to the strong momentum in sports.
“We are not in a hurry, but I believe that the discussions with both the teams and the FIA are progressing towards a favorable outcome.”
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