FIA president, Mohammed ben Sulayem hopes to announce whether the sport is to welcome new teams to the grid in "four to six weeks".

The FIA opened the application process for new teams in February, at a time the relationship between the sport's governing body and F1 was already souring.

While Andretti had been pushing at the door for some time, the application process saw a number of other prospective entrants throw their hats in the ring, some more serious than others.

Strengthening its bid, though still failing to convince F1 bosses or the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari, Andretti subsequently announced a partnership with General Motors brand Cadillac, insisting that the move was not about simply rebadging the (Renault) power unit.

Since then Carlin, Hitech, Formula Equal and LKY SUNZ have submitted bids, and while the FIA ponders their entries, F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali remains resolute in his opposition to 'fresh blood'.

"I'm not changing my mind," he told Motorsport.com earlier this month. "It's not the money, as we have said, and I don't want to anticipate anything because there is a process and I think that I have respect for the fact the FIA launched their process, and very soon we will arrive at the conclusion.

"As we always said, we need to make sure that the decision is right for the business," he added. "And this is what I think is the duty of the FIA and us together, that has to be taken.

"There are positives and negatives, that's part of the evaluation that we're doing. So I cannot spoil or anticipate anything."

Speaking to Formula.hu, Ben Sulayem said an announcement will be made in the coming weeks.

"I hope we can make the announcement next month," he said. "We are talking about serious people and we don't want to exclude anyone without a thorough review of the applications we have received.

"We are talking about big names and big money," he added. "I think the letter of intent was the right decision and the contract says that there can be 12 teams in the F1 field.

"Of course, we don't want just any team," he insisted, "we want A teams and we need a car manufacturer, I prefer manufacturers because it would be good for the sport.

"We've taken our time, the FIA team has worked very hard on the letter of intent, we've had meetings with the teams to review their bids and I think we'll have a final decision in four to six weeks."

Asked about the various roadblocks that the teams and F1 appear to placing in the path of the prospective newcomers including the $600m 'dilution fee' and concerns over the logistics, not forgetting that old chestnut the sport's DNA, Ben Sulayem said: "It's obviously a political and financial issue. However, it's clear to me that the FIA has to respect the treaties and we are regulated by the EU. We cannot manipulate anything. If a team is interested and our rules say we can have so many teams, how can we say no?

"I understand the concerns of other teams," he insisted, "especially the financial part of it, the distribution of it, but I am not here to upset anyone, I am here to do the right thing for the sport.

"We're happy to sit down with everybody and give advice, but we can't say to a big team that wants to come into F1, go and buy a team or you can't come. I think that's wrong."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 27/07/2023 13:39

"Saudi's next sport in their cross hairs is pro cycling. I believe they will either try to buy out the Pro Tour or launch a competitive series of races. The middle east are sponsors of several teams (both Arab & Israeli) along with a winter full of races.

This is a good warm up to buying out F1."

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2. Posted by ZJAY, 27/07/2023 3:35

"I am worried about MBS. He does not seam to have understood the letter he got after saying that 20 billion price tag for F1 is way too much. He is doing the bidding of the Saudi to buy F1 on the cheap. What he is does not realize that he is not only going after Liberty for the valuation of F1 but also after the valuation of every team and the interests of their investors. That is a hell a lot of people and interest to go against. However Liberty is in business and in business and in capitalism (ans many will whine about) only money talks. The only way out is for the Saudi to cough up 200 billions and then MBS can add 10 teams. Or maybe the Saudi can petition MBS for a new series FS (Formula Supreme), who will merge with F1 in less than a year. "

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3. Posted by kenji, 27/07/2023 2:03

"Mario Andretti is to F1 what Tony Bennett was to the world of music...."

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4. Posted by Simon in Adelaide, 26/07/2023 23:28

"Don't hold your breath, tomorrow never comes."

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5. Posted by BrightonCorgi, 26/07/2023 20:33

"For a company so hot for American money and fans, how can they not allow the most iconic name in American motorsports; Andretti? Mario Andretti is as national treasure as they get. A hero to all in the States."

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6. Posted by kenji, 26/07/2023 13:51

"I am so looking forward to seeing Andretti get a chance to strut their stuff. Hopefully with a couple of ex Indycar drivers at the wheel. That would be fascinating to watch and it would also spice up the current crop. Nothing to lose here but a lot to gain in a competitive sense."

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7. Posted by Chester, 26/07/2023 12:40

"Andretti is a golden name and Cadillac has deep pockets driven by GM's recent financial performance. Let them have their chance of a "Ford vs Ferrari" moment.

It would be interesting and possibly exciting to watch. We could take side bets on how long Andretti would last, what place in the constructors championship. Just win/win for us.

Oh, I forgot. Its not for us. Its for Liberty and the team owners. Silly me"

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8. Posted by Fambank, 26/07/2023 12:35

"While I would like to see a brands like Porsche or GM on the grid, and I think
those with, with Porsche especially in mind, with a very rich motorsport history,
would make a welcome addition to F1. What you don´t want is a bunch of "also rans"
who when they come to F1, declare that they "aim a racewin in three years, and a
championship in five", only to find out F1 doesn´t work that way."

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Announcement on new teams expected "next month"

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