Mohammed Ben Sulayem talks about future of F1: possible clash between FIA and Liberty Media?

During the Qatar Grand Prix weekend, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem delivered a speech addressing various current topics in Formula 1. He spoke with Reuters about the potential entry of the Andretti team, the current championship calendar, and his vision for the future.

Andretti’s Entry: An Opportunity Not to Be Missed
According to Ben Sulayem, Formula 1 should welcome Michael Andretti’s bid as a breath of fresh air for both the sport and business. Although he is aware that negotiations with the Formula One Management (FOM) will take time, the FIA President is optimistic about the American team’s entry. “It will be hard to say no to a team approved by the FIA,” Ben Sulayem stated during his conference in Qatar. “I think Andretti will prevail. You could say I’m an optimist, and you would be right; I am always optimistic.”

Naturally, discussions will be needed with the current teams, as they seem quite lukewarm to the idea of welcoming an eleventh team. In fact, the teams would see their share of the prize money decrease, but theoretically, they shouldn’t have a say in this matter. “Teams look at their slice of the pie. I understand their concerns, but ours are different,” said the FIA President, who also revealed an interesting anecdote. “I won’t name names, but I was asked to persuade Andretti/GM to buy one of the existing teams on the grid. This is not my job; I am not a middleman.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem Wants Fewer Races and More Teams in Formula 1’s Future
Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s goal is to fill all twelve team slots as allowed by the regulations. He stated, “The rules allow for 12 teams on the grid. Some have complained that there will be too much crowding, but it seems that we already have a Hollywood team with us.” This reference is, of course, to Brad Pitt’s movie, which has “occupied” some race weekends. “Circuits should have enough room for 12 teams. Rather than the number of teams, I think the issue is the excessive number of races. We need fewer races and more teams.” Next year will see a record of 24 races in a season, up from 22 this year and 19 in the past decade.

Could There Be a Clash Between the FIA and Formula 1?
Regarding the Andretti matter, Mohammed Ben Sulayem has also opened up to a scenario that would be unfavorable for the relationship between the FIA and Formula 1. In particular, the FIA President emphasized that the American team could join the grid without a commercial agreement, but that willingness is not there for now. This could lead to an inevitable clash between the two sides. Ben Sulayem commented, “We hope not, but it can happen.”

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The Emirati entrepreneur naturally wants to avoid this but doesn’t forget to underline the FIA’s “superior” position. “We are not a service provider; we are the host. The championship is ours, and that should be respected. My intention has never been to corner anyone, whether it’s Liberty Media or the FOM. I am here for the good of this sport. My dream is to fill the 12 available slots and have an American constructor team with an American Power Unit and driver. Then I would like to do the same thing in China.”