A New Year tweet from FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem appears to open the way for Andretti... and others.

The tweet late this afternoon from Ben Sulayem's personal account was short and simple.

"I have asked my FIA team to look at launching an Expressions of Interest process for prospective new teams for the FIA F1 World Championship," it read.

Since Manor dropped out of F1 in 2016 there have been just ten teams, the British outfit, which started life as Virgin then Marussia, having joined just a few years earlier along with Lotus and HRT, all three attracted to the sport by the promise of a budget cap and competitive engine package that was not to be.

Since then, certainly since Liberty Media took control of the sport in 2017, there has been an unofficial franchise system in operation, and in a bid to ensure that the existing teams maintain a value and to prevent 'wannabee' entries from the Andrea Modas of this world, potential new entries would have to pay out $200m on entry as a result of the "dilution" of the prize money pool.

However, even accepting the $200m demand hasn't been enough for Michael Andretti's dream of entering F1, with the FIA, and a number of leading teams, including Mercedes, clearly against the idea.

On the other hand, Audi, which is buying a major slice of Sauber, has been welcomed with open arms, while it is still hoped that Porsche will find the means to line up on the grid.

The big question is why this apparent change of heart from the FIA?

Does F1 see a benefit from having 11 or 12 teams or is the sport merely playing safe aware that the so-called boom might not last forever. Indeed, over the years we have seen the manufacturer treat the sport as though it had a revolving door, the ongoing antics of Honda being a perfect example.

Whatever, Andretti will surely see this as a belated Christmas present.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by kenji, 06/01/2023 2:21

"@ Superbird hahaha...can you imagine 30 cars lining up on the grid at Monaco!!! Dodgems at ten paces."

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2. Posted by Superbird70, 05/01/2023 13:29

"Imagine if they just went to three car teams instead? You know, to keep the DNA. Nothing like inbreeding."

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3. Posted by kenji, 05/01/2023 12:34

"One other point which needs to be thought through is simply, where do they find two extra garages at each and every circuit?"

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4. Posted by kenji, 04/01/2023 23:56

"I wonder how the FIA will treat quali if there are even one, let alone two, new teams? It's already a mess in so many ways. Maybe two groups of 11/12 cars per sesssion, reducing to a top 10/12. will be interesting to see where they go...."

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5. Posted by Tardis40, 03/01/2023 20:45

"Four additional cars will make Monaco more fun"

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6. Posted by Paulinho, 03/01/2023 15:08

"$200 Million :( wow"

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7. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 03/01/2023 14:27

"Seems like only auto manufacturers are welcome. Perhaps Porsche wants to partner with Andretti?"

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8. Posted by Greg, 03/01/2023 9:52

"Happy new year all. Any new team joining will have to be competitive for sure. And then will the existing teams want to share in their cut of the prize money. Time will tell who rules F1."

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9. Posted by Lapps, 03/01/2023 7:45

"Hum! The proof of the pudding etc. Is this the FIA ‘doing the right thing’ or wanting to be seen as doing the right thing?
But then I’m old and cynical so let’s wait and see. "

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10. Posted by elsiebc, 03/01/2023 7:27

"This is probably to get more prospects so that they can choose others over Andretti."

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11. Posted by Simon in Adelaide, 03/01/2023 2:36

"Is this the start of a powerplay between Mohammed ben Sulayem and Stefano Domenicali as to who actually "runs" the show?"

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12. Posted by Max Noble, 03/01/2023 0:23

"@alvaezh3 - First, yes, it would be great to see 12 teams on the grid. As long as they were “mostly” competitive! Second, many thanks! Esteemed Editor Balfe is one of the most knowledgeable folk one could ever hope to meet in regard to F1, and a great editor too. I do my best to generate articles of relevance, from a different angle to the more usual approaches. It is a source of joy when readers enjoy them, and offer considered feedback. Happy New Year! … bring on season 2023!
"

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13. Posted by alvarezh3, 02/01/2023 19:36

"Good to start the year with hopes of increasing the grid to at least 12 teams.

Happy New Year to all the members of the posting "community" and special thanks for this past year's hard work to our respected Editor and to Max our number one contributor for your time in delighting us with your compositions."

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FIA invites interest from new teams

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