Stefano Domenicali: Having a competitive grid is more important than new teams
For the president of Formula 1, ensuring the competitiveness of the current grid is much more important for the spectacle than integrating new teams into the championship.
The candidacy of American automotive giant Andretti is still subject to debate. Indeed, Michael Andretti announced some time ago his desire to form his Formula 1 team for 2024. However, in order to enter the grid, it is necessary for all the teams to agree, but also for Formula 1 to approve. And for now, Stefano Domenicali has other priorities.
The question divides in the paddock. While some see the added value that Andretti could bring to the premier category of motorsports, others, like Mercedes, are much more skeptical.
“We have a lot of requests,” explained Stefano Domenicali. “How many? More than one… and less than eight! There are those who don’t hide their intentions, even publicly, and there are those who keep their intentions confidential. Personally, I don’t believe that the number of teams in Formula 1 is a limit from the entertainment point of view,” he confessed.
« I believe that the priority is to work on improving the competitiveness of certain teams that are already present. I don’t think that increasing the number of entries adds any value, unless they are teams of exceptional quality, Domenicali added.
A budget ceiling to consider.
Moreover, the financial aspect should not be overlooked in this decision, he explained in regards to finances and the budget limit. There are two open questions to consider, he continued. The first one is control. Because if those who are supposed to regulate forget something, the whole system collapses. Today, it is not only necessary to check the technical aspect, a very strict financial control is just as important. That is why the FIA is seeking to equip itself in order to be more robust in its role as a guarantor, added Stefano Domenicali.
The second point concerns certain variables that are very difficult to predict with the implementation of financial regulations. Inflation is taking an unpredictable direction, and transportation costs have increased in recent weeks in a way that was impossible to anticipate. There will be discussions to find the right solutions, but always based on the principle that everyone should have the same opportunities, he concluded.
