25/08/2022
NEWS STORY
With the sport seemingly leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to attract new fans, thereby boosting its popularity, commercial appeal and profits, one would have thought that with an American media company at the wheel the one thing missing was a 'home grown' home team and driver.
Despite McLaren's activity in the driver market an American driver still appears a way off, however in terms of a 'home' team the sport appears unusually ambivalent, almost hostile to the idea.
Michael Andretti has made no secret of his desire to enter F1, indeed he claims to even have an engine deal in place for his joining the grid in 2024, yet the American is unable to get the green light.
While a number of teams, most notably Mercedes, have raised their objections, speaking to the media ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, F1 boss, Stefano Domenicali appeared openly hostile to the Andretti bid.
"It's a matter of understanding not only the ones that have a bigger or louder voice, there will be others," he said of prospective new entries to the sport. "Andretti was quite vocal about his request, but there are others that are saying in a different way.
"Mario, I know him very, very well, since a long time," the Italian continued, "he's trying to present his idea in a way that he thought is the right way to do, but I believe there is a governance in place, and the decision has to follow the protocol that is in place.
"Mario is very vocal, Michael too," he added, "and I spoke with them quite often, as you can imagine, and we need to respect that. We may have different opinions.
"The evaluation is not only with Andretti, the evaluation is with others that are respecting the silence or trying to be more productive on approving who they are, and respecting the protocol we have put in place.
"I do believe there are more teams that will give more value to the championship," he continued, "but there is a protocol that has to be fulfilled and everyone, Andretti included, is following that.
"Today we are talking about the new regulations 2026 and all the manufacturers involved in that, incumbent or maybe the new one, are saying that the time is running very quickly, four years to do another power unit, we need to be prudent.
"When we're talking about Formula 1, we need to have an entity or a team or a manufacturer that is really solid, that is really strong and has a full commitment for an incredibly long time. Today, I don't see honestly the need of that increase to have a big value for the sport of Formula 1."
While the sport awaits news on Porsche and Audi entering, a decision that rested entirely on whether they agreed with the 2026 rules, Honda, which only announced its withdrawal from F1 in October 2020 is already talking about returning.
As Domenicali well knows, while Ferrari has only missed 16 races since the inception of the Formula One World Championship in 1950, manufacturers have come and gone willy-nilly, just think Renault, and despite the Drive to Survive boom the sport would do well to remember that bust usually follows.
Though F1 doesn't officially operate as a franchise-based sport, many now see it that way, and to that end, Domenicali believes that rather than entering as 'start ups' potential new teams should consider purchasing existing operations.
"It's the same situation of the Grands Prix," he said, "there are more people that want to enter, by far, than people that want to leave.
"Formula 1 today requires an incredible level of professionality and investments," he added, "not only for one year but for long term. Because there is a lot of interest from a lot of manufacturers, but also a lot of teams, the actual one can discuss and commercialise and negotiate with them if they feel they are weak or if they feel they have no future.
"So I think it's another value for the ones who are here already, knowing that around them are manufacturers or other teams that want to be in the business. It's a fact that, in my opinion, will reinforce the value of Formula 1."
Check out our Thursday gallery from Spa here.