There had been rumours for months before the likes of Andretti and Porsche admitted they had an interest in joining Formula One, but it seems that we could soon be seeing new competitors on the grid.
Having already found out last August that Sauber will be partnering with Audi in 2026, there has recently been a huge leap forward for the potential addition of new teams.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem took to Twitter on Monday to inform fans about the want for new Formula One teams: “I have asked my FIA team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
With many believing that Andretti Motorsport would be the next news after Audi, the doubts would soon be put to bed with Andretti also announcing on Twitter three days after Ben Sulayem’s tweet, that they will be partnering with Cadillac to become a Formula One team.
But what do the fans think of this? With teams like Caterham, HRT and Marussia only lasting a matter of years as teams, it does seem risky to start new teams now, especially with the amount of financial backing required in modern-day F1.
For Andretti and Cadillac though, it seems to have been a welcoming start from fans, particularly with the huge influx of American fans in the sport, who are keen to see another team from the States race alongside Haas.
One fan responded to the news: “I will be rooting for you guys. The Andretti name is a legendary one in F1 history.”
Sulayem then took to social media to announce: “I welcome the news of the Cadillac and Andretti partnership and the FIA looks forward to further discussions on the FIA Formula One World Championship Expressions of Interest process.”
Fellow competitors on the grid, however, are not entirely keen on the entry of new teams, as the sport’s revenues are currently split between the 10 teams already racing, so any new team would make each share much lower, thus hindering potential performance and success.
New brands like Audi and Andretti are attracting more fans though, so in the long run, it may help Formula One to grow bigger than it’s ever been.