FIA open to welcoming Chinese 12th team to F1

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has opened the door for a team from China to enter F1.

For the first time since 2015, F1 welcomes an 11th team on the grid next season when Cadillac join, ending what will be a three-year wait for the American outfit when it applied for an entry after the FIA called for Expressions of Interest.

There is scope for a 12th team, with Ben Sulayem willing to launch another EoI process, making it clear that a bid from China would be welcomed.

"I still feel we need more teams than races," said Ben Sulayem, speaking to a small group of media, including RacingNews365. "The drivers are coming to me and saying, 'Please, no more races'."

"When we opened the Expression of Interest [in 2023], what was the outcome based on? Due process, competency framework, and without looking at which company it was, as long as it fulfilled the requirements of the FIA.

"We have an 11th team. I believe we should look into the performance of the 11th team, and then, if there is a Chinese [bid], and I will speak on behalf of FOM now in front of you, they will agree to that, because it is about sustaining the business."

Ben Sulayem made clear there is no pressing need for a 12th team. However, given the skyrocketing trajectory of F1 in recent years, adding another team to the grid, in particular one from China, would further increase its appeal in the biggest business market on the planet.

"If there is a team from China, let's say, and FOM approved it, and I am 100 per cent they will approve it, wouldn't it make more money with China coming in? I believe, yes," he said.

"Do we have to fill up [the grid] with a 12th team for the sake of filling up [the grid] with a 12th team? No. It will be the right team."

Ben Sulayem confirmed that since the initial Expression of Interest process two and a half years ago, the conditions of entry have been tightened further, claiming that lessons were learned.

"The time will come when we feel it right to open an Expression of Interest," he said.

"We are not here to upset the other teams, but it won't be just for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it.

"For us, the [12th] team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula 1, and the business of Formula 1 is not about the income, it's about the longevity of the championship itself."