When the governing body of Formula One, the FIA, opened the application process for potential new teams on Thursday, the grid was one step closer to being expanded.
That might work in the favour of Michael Andretti’s Andretti Global, which is collaborating with the Cadillac brand of General Motors. The American alliance has lobbied the FIA to join F1, but current teams are opposed because they fear that an 11th team will reduce their revenue. Ben Sulayem mentioned the new engine rules coming in 2026 as a factor attracting interest from potential new teams. The FIA did not specify when applications would close, when it might decide on new teams, or when they could start racing.