F2-team Van Amersfoort Racing owners want to establish a 12th team in Formula 1

Almost a year ago, Szafnauer announced he was working on a twelfth F1 team. At the time, the former Team Principal of, among others, Alpine and Racing Point did not want to disclose which wealthy party had asked him to do this.

However, last month it was announced that Szafnauer had become Managing Partner of Van Amersfoort Racing — competing, among other series, in Formula 2 and Formula 3. It now appears that this by no means means the plans to establish a new Formula 1 team have been abandoned. In fact, there is a clear link between the two projects, Szafnauer tells this site.

The reason the American joined, as well as others, is mainly due to the new owner, Rafael Villagómez: “The owner and I were looking at potentially collaborating on a Formula 1 team, which could still happen if there's something interesting either for sale or the 12th team opens up," Szafnauer said.

Szafnauer states that they are not fixated on Formula 1: “There's also discussions about looking at an IndyCar team or maybe sports cars, so definitely expand. But expand strategically and with a view of making the entire entity worth more,” said the American, who is thinking more in terms of the “short than the long term.”

It seems obvious that the struggling Prema Racing is seen as an acquisition candidate. On this, Szafnauer says: “Yes, and they want to sell, but unfortunately there's a thing in IndyCar called a charter now, and they don't have one, and if you're going to buy, you should buy something with a charter. So there's some, not complexities, but there's some considerations before you buy.”

With Van Amersfoort Racing, Szafnauer has a well-known name in motorsport in his hands. The Managing Partner indicates that this name will remain in any case, even under the new leadership. What name the potential F1 team and the IndyCar outfit would carry is currently unknown.