F1 | Ben Sulayem: “I felt like a criminal, now I laugh about it” – FIA President shifts focus to Europe. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem reflects on his support for Cadillac’s F1 entry.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, has once again spoken about Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1 and the future of the race calendar, underlining his commitment to strengthening the sport in Europe. From Cadillac’s arrival to the expansion of the schedule, Mohammed Ben Sulayem continues to defend the role of the FIA while shaping the future of the championship. The former Emirati driver was among the earliest supporters of the project led by Andretti and General Motors, which has now materialized into the team set to make its debut on the grid in 2026. “It is more important to involve more teams than to simply have more races,” he reiterated in an interview with Viaplay.

After months of political battles and negotiations, 2026 will officially mark Cadillac’s entry into Formula 1. The American team is the sole survivor out of the seven organizations that originally applied to join the grid. Of those, only four reached the second stage of the evaluation process. In the end, the American project, powered by General Motors and managed by Andretti, convinced Mohammed Ben Sulayem—who remains confident it was the right decision.

“I worked hard for two years, making sure they could enter Formula 1,” the FIA President told Viaplay. “In the beginning, I felt like I had committed a crime. Now I laugh about it. I believe it is more important to bring in more teams than to add more races. The more teams we have on the grid, the more solid our foundations will be.”

The future in Africa, but Europe remains crucial

Expanding the calendar to include more organizers in new continents remains one of the FIA’s priorities for the future. The overall number of races is expected to stay stable, but with Formula 1’s popularity growing worldwide, the natural outcome will be the addition of new circuits, possibly through a rotation system. Africa remains hopeful, with Rwanda preparing to revive its bid to host a Grand Prix after its successful organization of the Cycling World Championships.

However, Formula 1 cannot afford to overlook Europe. “I believe Africa deserves to have a Grand Prix, but the question is whether they can make it financially sustainable,” Mohammed Ben Sulayem explained. “At the same time, we cannot forget Europe: this is where the sport was born and where innovation continues to happen. It is also accessible to fans. There are many interests at stake, not only commercial but also sporting, and when both are balanced, the sport rests on a solid foundation.”