Potential new F1 teams warned there is ‘no chance’ of success
Cars heading on track at the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix.
A former F1 driver has suggested it is “impossible” for any new team to get a foothold in the sport such is the experience and finances involved.
Formula 1‘s popularity is at an all-time high and naturally, plenty of companies want to get a spot on the grid.
The most vocal of them is Andretti whose quest to get onto the F1 grid has been ongoing for over a year but there are plenty more names from across the world who have thrown their hat in the ring.
Their first task is to assure the FIA that they are set-up to become a self-sustaining team and their next challenge would be to convince Formula One Management that they would bring something new to the sport.
It was suggested earlier this week that F1 president Stefano Domenicali would be open to 12 teams, but PlanetF1.com understands that to be false.
Getting onto the grid is just the first step for the teams who then have to compete with 10 existing outfits as well as balancing the books in one of the most expensive sports in the world.
That is a task that former driver Christian Danner believes is a step too far.
“It’s going to be impossible,” Danner told Total-Motorsport.com. “It’s not going to be difficult [or] very difficult, it’s going to be simply impossible.
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“I think with a little bit of common sense and a little bit of experience in this business, you should realise there is no chance that a new team can actually fall on its feet. I don’t think it’s a good idea [to enter a new team].”
The last new team to enter the grid was Haas in 2016 but since then the sport has been focused on ensuring all 10 teams are financially stable, a challenge made more difficult during the COVID pandemic.
But the sport is currently very healthy with F1 posting profits of $2.573 billion in 2022. As for the teams, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff predicted last year that a new constructor would need to spend $1 billion to be able to compete.