FIA president wants change: 'More teams and fewer races'

In Formula 1, there has long been talk of Andretti-Cadillac joining as an 11th team. The US team has been approved by the FIA, but has yet to pass FOM approval. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem thinks it will be difficult for that party to say no.

Entering Formula 1 as a new team is very tricky. First of all, an F1 licence must be granted by the FIA and then there must also be approval from the FOM. The former has now been achieved by Andretti-Cadillac, but the latter could still be a difficult task. After all, this is where the FOM needs to decide if the American team can really join Formula 1 and it does not seem like it is itching.

However, Ben Sulayem thinks it will be difficult to start stopping the American team. "Saying no to a team which has been approved by the FIA, it’s very hard to say no. You can call me optimistic, I’m always optimistic. I think yes," the FIA president told Reuters about Andretti-Cadillac's possible F1 entry. "The FIA should be asking, begging, OEMs (car manufacturers) to come in. We should not just say no to them."

In recent years, the Formula 1 calendar has continued to expand and F1 drivers, among others, have criticised it. Ben Sulayem, too, thinks there are too many races. "I think the number of races is too much (rather) than the number of teams. We need more teams and fewer races," Mohammed Ben Sulayem concluded.