FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says he understands the concerns Formula 1 teams have raised after the governing body invited new entries to the championship.
However he stressed the sport’s governing cannot reject an application for a team which fulfils the criteria it has set for those wishing to enter F1.The FIA called for expressions of interest from new teams in February this year. However F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali does not welcome the idea of expanding the grid beyond the current 10 teams and recently said the current 20-car grid is “more than enough”.
The FIA and Formula 1 are due to decide by the end of the month whether any new entries have been accepted. “There are a few teams wanting to come in,” Ben Sulayem told Grand Prix 247. “We are happy that they express interest. We have been working with FOM and with Stefano Domenicali,” he said.
F1 and the FIA each has the power to reject any applicant. Ben Sulayem said he can understand why many of the existing teams are not in favour of expanding the grid.
“I can see the questions of the team[s],” he said. “It is something important. We at FIA have also this concern.”
However the FIA can’t reject applications which meet the criteria it has set down, he said.
“When you’re talking about the expression of interest, I mean, there are still regulations there and we cannot shut the application down and say no because we have another choice and we cannot also say no to them if they fulfil the application. So really, I understand the other teams’ concerns when it comes to another team. Also we’re not breaking the rules.
“And I would expect them to understand our position when it comes to that also. That’s the way we can go forward together. You see. As I said, I understand, but also I’m sure they will understand our position. One thing that I will not do is break the rules.”
Ben Sulayem welcomed Honda’s recent announcement it will return to F1 as a full engine manufacturer from 2026. “With more engine makes, you will have a much more accessible sport and we talk about the prices going down,” he said.
F1 cannot be closed to potential new entrants, said Ben Sulayem. “At the end of the day, we have to make sure that it is not just a closed circuit that we open to big teams. So now with the PU, there was only one or two at the start and we will have six. I’m really happy the way it goes.”
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Tom (@hadws)
26th June 2023, 8:35
I, for one, am looking forward to the new FISA-FOCA war. Our time has been far too peaceful anyway.
Archibald Bumfluff
26th June 2023, 9:07
yes, since 2009, it’s been far too peaceful, we are way overdue for an eruption
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 9:09
Why would there be a war? Mr Sulayem has agreed to not bar any qualifying team from entering, which was their only power.
MichaelN
26th June 2023, 11:55
Because the current participants absolutely do not want to share the commercial rights cash flow with anyone else. They fought long and hard to get that money spread out more evenly, ensuring that even the ‘losers’ get a big payout.
The FIA saying “we’re not doing anything to stop it” puts all the pressure on the Formula One Group (although that itself is dubious, as they do not govern the championship – merely the commercial rights). It also highlights its highly questionable “cooperation” with the teams. It was only a few years ago that Formula One Group had to effectively buy off Sauber and Force India because they were making their way to the EU courts.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 15:01
If anyone expected the FIA to bar qualifying teams from entering, they misunderstood the position the FIA are in.
The FIA had the power to write their set of figures for qualifying, they don’t have the power to deny those that qualify going forward with the commercial negotiations, or prevent them from entering should a commercial agreement be reached.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 9:08
Now we know from Mr Sulayem themselves that they cannot allow new teams to enter and that they will not refuse qualifying teams. The FIA also never had a set of rules for qualifying. So big ups, all around.
S
26th June 2023, 10:20
He has not said the FIA can’t allow new teams to enter. He’s said only that they can’t reject any new applicants that meet the conditions of entry.
That means that the FIA can (and always could) allow new team/s into the F1 ‘sporting’ and technical competition, but it’s up to F1’s Commercial Rights Holder whether or not they can be a part of the business competition and receive financial rewards and prize money. Nothing has changed here.
This is very much a message to Domenicali and Liberty that if a ‘new’ team fulfils the requirement to enter F1, the FIA will accept them. It then falls entirely onto Liberty to very publicly be the bad guy and make F1 unattractive or even completely non-viable for them – purely and strictly on a financial basis.
That’s quite the pressure for the commercial rights holder – the public image of F1 is what they make their money from.
Rejecting teams is not a good look, nor good business practice.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 22:19
Mr Sulayem admitted explicitly that they have no power to grant entries to Formula 1:
https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/02/fia-invites-applications-for-up-to-two-new-teams-to-enter-f1-from-2025/
S
27th June 2023, 3:15
Was this supposed to support your argument?
It doesn’t.
It says pretty much what I just said above – that the FIA grants entry to F1 and conducts all sporting and competitive aspects, and the Commercial Rights Holder handles prize money, marketing and business functions.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
28th June 2023, 13:32
This is as clear as things come. The FIA cannot grant entries to Formula 1.
Qeki (@qeki)
26th June 2023, 11:30
F1 and WEC are blooming rightnow. WRC on the other hand has been hanging from the same branch since mid 2000s. FIA should do something to that first. For few years there was only two! teams and basically only two drivers fighting for the championship. Then came the modern “Wing WRCs” and then we had 2.5 teams. At least every team won something but now again with the new regs there has been no steps forward whatsoever. Again new regs will arrive in 2025. There is one problem they haven’t decided what the new regs are. It’s more messed up than Ferrari’s strategy group and Williams’ floor desing group together. What’s even worse there are plans changing the schedule and venue of the rallies more towards show rather than actual racing. 1 day event isn’t WRC its something that you do in amateur level in your local area. 2 days is also a joke. 3 days is a minimum. As with the sprints in F1 its not about making the race shorter. 24h Le Mans can be 24min Le mans for the modern world but then its a totally different ball game. Yes in the olden days they drove 50 stages but they were shorter. Of course this is only my opinion but as with the F1 problem isn’t the schedule, it’s how to get more teams on the board.
Yellow Baron
26th June 2023, 14:53
He did say he wants to give more attention to wrc now, after getting caught up more than he would have liked with F1 last year.
MichaelN
26th June 2023, 11:50
Based on what can “F1” reject applicants? The FIA F1 World Championship is ruled by the FIA Code and FIA F1 World Championship Technical and Sporting Regulations, and they outline an application process in which “F1” (presumably the Formula One Group owned by Liberty Media) has any say whatsoever.
What might happen is what happened back when Marussia was a participant in the FIA F1 World Championship, but not a part of the Concorde Carte… Agreement. That then changed last minute before the first race.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 15:14
The FIA noted that F1’s commercial rights holder, Liberty Media, “may also impose additional selection criteria/conditions (to be advised separately during the application process).”
https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/02/fia-invites-applications-for-up-to-two-new-teams-to-enter-f1-from-2025/
No rejection necessary. Qualifying for an entry as per the FIA’s list of requirements does not guarantee anything other than those qualifying getting the opportunity to commence talks with the Commercial Rights Holders.
anon
26th June 2023, 20:40
MichaelN, to quote from the terms of the agreement that the FIA struck with the European Commission: “The role of FIA will be limited to that of a sports regulator, with no commercial conflicts of interest” and “The FIA will, therefore, have no influence over the commercial exploitation of the Formula One Championship.”.
That is part of the reason why the FIA was forced to state that it cannot automatically assign entry rights to prospective entrants and that the commercial rights holders may choose to impose separate selection criteria – it is because the European Commission decreed that the FIA had abused its powers when setting entry criteria for the sport in the past, and thus the FIA had to separate out some of its powers to the commercial rights holders to avoid undue conflicts of interest.
Dex
26th June 2023, 14:44
If you wished to have 30 races a year (X2, with another crazy idea called sprint involved), then I don’t see why you wouldn’t go for at least 12-13 teams. I’d like to see more than that, F1 to me was always more a story of a struggle and building something from nothing than seeing Mercedes having a smooth sail for eight years, now to be followed by the Red Bull. I don’t mind that when its deserved, but I also want to see what people can do with their own resources. We’ll never get to see another (real) Williams or McLaren this way, and to hope for a new Minardi is practically lunacy. It’s a sport. Care only about the income of existing teams and it stops being so. And I’ll stop watching it, I don’t like American closed franchise system, that’s why I never watched NBA and other stuff they have there. Funnily enough, they don’t have that in motorsport.
Proesterchen (@proesterchen)
26th June 2023, 15:16
There’s only so much charm in people trying to pay you 200 million for a billion-dollar+ F1 entry.
Alesici
26th June 2023, 21:18
If you don’t want to watch F1 because it’s moving the way of American commercialism and away from pure motor sport, I strongly recommend you try switching to Indycars instead of F1. These days, F1 is like a much more Americanised version of Indycars…
Slim Jim
27th June 2023, 13:02
Lewis Hamilton has stuck two fingers up at Ben Sulayem when he said his nose ring cannot be removed for medical reasons yet he gets another one on the other side and nothing is done about it it just shows they are scared of doing anything to Lewis