American motorsport team Andretti has been trying to enter the F1 grid. But several teams and stakeholders have blocked their entry. However, a recent statement by Stefano Domenicali in the Beyond The Grid Podcast has crushed Michael Andretti’s hopes.
The American team had announced an alliance with automobile giant Cadillac. Andretti has even sourced their $200 Million entry fee but was denied a seat at the table.
Michael Andretti claims the dilution of profits is the reason why the teams are hesitant to allow a new team in the sport. But now it appears even Domenicali is under the impression that a new constructor won’t bring any value to the sport.
Stefano Domenicali crushes Michael Andretti’s F1 hope
Stefano Domenicali was asked in F1’s Beyond The Grid Podcast if there is room for more teams in the current F1 grid. Keeping Michael Andretti’s position in mind, the F1 CEO gave his view regarding the matter.
The F1 boss answered, “No, I believe that 20 cars are more than enough on the grid. That is my personal opinion.” However, Domenicali claims exceptions can be made as discussions are being carried out about a new Concorde agreement for the 2025 season and beyond.
The Italian emphasized entry to a new team will be solely based on the value they can add to the sport. He claims it’s important to respect the demands of existing teams as well as interested teams while making such changes.
Apart from Andretti, Panthera Asian F1, and Hong Kong-based Billionaire Calvin Lo are interested in entering the sport. There is a possibility that F1 could raise the $200 Million entry fee to around $1 Billion to reflect the surge in the value of the sport.
Why does Stefano Domenicali feel 20 cars are enough?
Stefano Domenicali did not want to spoil Michael Andretti’s bid to enter F1. However, the F1 CEO claims he wants to improve the racing element of the sport by making the competition even closer rather than adding more cars on the grid.
Domenicali stated, “If you have 2 teams or two drivers fighting, the level of attention is mega. So can you imagine 20 cars or 10 teams at the level where there is competition on the track!”
The Italian claims that F1 has improved the closeness of cars with the new regulations. And that is the direction that the sport should focus on. This is true if you look at the history of the sport.
For a long time, F1 has featured more than 10 teams or 20 cars on the grid. However, only two teams have fought for the title. This can be seen in the 2021 title fight between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
The season was also a heated contest between Red Bull and Mercedes. The season went down the wire until the last lap of the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Fans appreciated the close competition in the season, which was lacking last year.
