Formula 1 should have more teams and fewer races, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The Emirati’s comments come in the context of the US-based Andretti organisation’s bid to enter F1, as well as an expanding global schedule of grands prix which is set to reach a record 24 next season.
Commercial rights holder F1 will have the final call over whether to admit Andretti, and Ben Sulayem appeared to warn against any defiance of the FIA’s approval.
“Saying no to a team which has been approved by the FIA – it’s very hard,” Ben Sulayem told Reuters.
Last week the motorsport governing body gave its approval for Andretti’s bid to enter F1, which is a joint venture with US car giant General Motors’ Cadillac brand.
The FIA rejected three other potential candidates, including New Zealand’s Rodin Cars, saying they did not fulfil all the necessary criteria.
The bid process has moved on to commercial discussions with F1, owned by US company Liberty Media. Its bosses have sounded lukewarm in public about the prospect of an 11th team, and are widely believed in private to be opposed to the idea.
Ben Sulayem pointed out that F1’s rules allow for up to 12 teams and that sport would benefit from new car manufacturers, otherwise known as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“The FIA should be asking, begging, OEMs to come in. We should not just say no to them,” he said.
“If you say: ‘What is my dream?’ It is to fill up the 12 [team slots] and to have one US team from an OEM and a [power unit] and a driver from there. And then go to China maybe and ask for the same thing and do it.”
The current 10 F1 teams, who do not have a formal say in the admission of any new entrant, are unilaterally opposed to the idea on financial grounds because it would reduce their share of the sport’s prize fund.
Any new entrant is required to pay a $200m (£164m) anti-dilution fee to current teams in order to compensate for the loss in prize money, but teams say this is insufficient following F1’s increased success in recent years, and should instead cost new competitors close to $1bn (£820m).
They point out that some teams are still struggling financially despite the introduction of a budget cap two years ago, and that it is only four or five years since half the grid was in danger of collapse.
The smaller teams have recently negotiated a bigger allowance in a sliding scale of permitted spending on infrastructure, to allow them the chance to build up facilities to rival those of the top teams.
‘I am not a broker’ – Ben Sulayem
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff has said a group wanting to enter the sport should buy an existing team.
Ben Sulayem said: “You cannot force Andretti/GM to buy another team just because [the current owners may] want to sell.
“I won’t mention names, but they were after me to go on and convince GM to do that. It’s not my job. I was not elected to do that. I am not a broker.”
Another issue raised over the idea of a new team is that some circuits on calendar, notably Monaco and Zandvoort, do not have sufficient garage space to house any.
But Ben Sulayem said: “We are allowed to have 12 teams [in the rules]. Some of the teams said ‘Oh, it will be crowded’. Really? We are already running a Hollywood team with us,” he said, referring to the Brad Pitt F1 movie which has been filmed at some races this season.
“The circuits are supposed to have enough garages and space for 12 teams. I think the number of races is too much [rather] than the number of teams. We need more teams and fewer races.
“The teams are looking at the piece of cake. I understand their worries… but our worries are different.”
The last two seasons have had 22 races, but were planned to have 24 before some events were being cancelled.
Next year is again planned to have 24 grands prix, which make it the longest season in history.
Ben Sulayem’s intervention has the potential to be seen in some quarters as provocative.
It comes towards the end of a year in which he pledged to step back from the day-to-day running of the sport.
That decision was made after a series of controversies since he became president in December 2021.
He rejected the idea of a power struggle between F1 and the FIA but emphasised his perception of the governing body’s position.
“We are not a service provider,” he said. “We own the championship. We leased it – we are the landlord. So that has to be respected also.
“My intention was never to embarrass or to put someone in a corner, [F1 owners] Liberty or FOM [Formula 1 Management]. I am here for the spirit of the sport.”
His remarks are a reference to an agreement between F1 and the FIA which granted the commercial rights to the sport to F1 on a 100-year lease in 2001.
F1 declined to comment when asked by BBC Sport.