F1 could get 12th team as FIA chief opens door to new Red Bull and Ferrari rival

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed that he would consider allowing a 12th team to join the F1 grid. Cadillac will join the grid next year as the 11th team, marking the first change to the number of teams since 2015.

The American outfit have been building their team for the last three years after they applied to enter, following the FIA's call for Expressions of Interest. Now, despite Cadillac yet to make their race debut, Ben Sulayem has hinted at further entries.

He said: "I still feel we need more teams than races. The drivers are coming to me and saying, 'Please, no more races'.

"When we opened the Expression of Interest [in 2023], what was the outcome based on? Due process, competency framework, and without looking at which company it was, as long as it fulfilled the requirements of the FIA.

"We have an 11th team. I believe we should look into the performance of the 11th team, and then, if there is a Chinese [bid], and I will speak on behalf of FOM now in front of you, they will agree to that, because it is about sustaining the business."

Ben Sulayem reiterated that he is in no hurry to introduce a 12th team to the grid, but he is certainly not opposed to the idea if he feels it would accelerate the growth of the sport and help it reach an untapped market, such as China.

He continued: "Do we have to fill up [the grid] with a 12th team for the sake of filling up [the grid] with a 12th team? No. It will be the right team. The time will come when we feel it right to open an Expression of Interest. We are not here to upset the other teams, but it won't be just for the sake of doing it. It has to be worth it.

"For us, the [12th] team has to add value to sustaining the business of Formula 1, and the business of Formula 1 is not about the income, it's about the longevity of the championship itself."

It remains to be seen whether Ben Sulayem remains comfortable with the idea of the grid expanding once more after Cadillac are introduced, or whether he may then feel 12 teams is one too many.