The FIA has officially opened up the process that will allow prospective new Formula 1 teams to apply to join the grid as early as 2025.
Following the announcement from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in early January that the governing body was looking into the situation, the process has now been launched that will allow new teams “seeking to participate at a competitive level” to lodge an application to join in either 2025, 2026 or 2027.
There are a number of aspects that the FIA says it will look at from those teams that have serious intent to enter, with due diligence being done on criteria such as technical capabilities, funding, experience and personnel. On top of that, each prospective team’s wider impact will be assessed by the governing body.
“For the first time ever, any candidate would be required to address how it would manage the sustainability challenge and how it plans to achieve a net-zero CO2 impact by 2030,” the FIA said in a statement. “Any prospective F1 team would also need to illustrate how they intend to achieve a positive societal impact through its participation in the sport. This would help meet the mutual aims of the FIA and Formula One Management (FOM).
“The overall long-term interests of the championship, involving all stakeholders, will determine which candidates are selected together with the applicable regulations and governance arrangements.”
Teams that submit a preliminary expression of interest will receive the terms of the formal application process, including full criteria and deadlines. While the preliminary interest is requested to be registered by February 17, the FIA anticipates formal applications will need to be submitted by April 30, 2023, allowing for a decision to be made on any applicants by June 30, 2023.
The FIA also noted that Liberty Media — as the commercial rights holder — may also impose additional selection criteria or conditions to the process. A maximum of 12 teams are allowed up to and including 2025, but “in the event that no applicant is considered suitable by the FIA and/or by the F1 Commercial Rights Holder, no new F1 team(s) will be selected.”
Ben Sulayem says the level of demand — that has included public declarations from the likes of Andretti Cadillac — means the process is required to analyze the potential of new teams.
“The growth and appeal of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship is at unprecedented levels,” Ben Sulayem said. “The FIA believes the conditions are right for interested parties, which meet the selection criteria, to express a formal interest in entering the championship.
“For the first time ever, as part of the selection conditions, we are requesting that candidates set out how they would meet the FIA’s sustainability benchmarks and how they would make a positive societal impact through sport.
“The process is a logical extension of the positive acceptance of the FIA’s 2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations from engine manufacturers which has attracted Audi to Formula 1 and created interest among other potential entrants.”
