The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile have provided more details about the initial Expression of Interest deadline that was set for new parties wishing to enter Formula 1 in the future.
Last month, President Mohammed ben Sulayem confirmed the start of the EOI process that would allow any team interested in entering the sport to officially announce its intentions and begin the application process for joining the Formula 1 grid the following years.
As expected, the first project to complete the registration was the Andretti-Cadillac/General Motors bid, after team boss Michael Andretti lobbied hard during the last 12 months with the goal of getting a seat on the grid starting with the 2026 championship.
In the initial EOI documents, an apparent deadline of 17:00pm CET on Friday 17th February was set, with the process informing that “the FIA will disclose the complete requirements for the formal application to candidates who have completed the preliminary application, within 48 hours from the submission of their initial expression of interest, or 17:00 CET on Friday 17 February, whichever is the latest.” – the official press release informed at that time.
Yet the Formula 1 governing body has now confirmed that this is not the case:
“The process through which the FIA will assess the candidates is comprehensive and will include a significant analysis of the candidate’s business plan, technical capability and resources,” an FIA explained, as reported by RacingNews365 – “There is no deadline as such for the initial application, as prospective teams may require some time to prepare the initial package of information required by the FIA.”
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Alongside the Andretti-Cadillac/General Motors project, there are also other teams confident of getting the chance to race in Formula One, such as Panthera F1 Team Asia, a Swiss-based outfit and an entry from Hitech Grand Prix who would therefore step up after racing in the junior series.
The formal deadline for applications is April 30th, as the FIA wants to officially confirm if it will allow any applicant a 2026 entry before the end of June. According to RacingNews365, the governing body has already received several Expressions of Interest from some potential new teams.
The topic will most likely be discussed at the next Formula 1 Commission meeting, which will take place next week.
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