Andretti has made no secret of his frustration at being unable to carry out his bid to join the top flight with a new team, having failed in his idea of acquiring the Sauber organization.
Domenicali said he is happy with the current number of 10 teams and that a new team is not necessary to add value to the world championship. And he stressed that, in addition to Andretti, others have shown their interest in entering although maintaining a lower profile.
The evaluation process for the program is still ongoing, but no details have been given of how it is progressing or when any decision will be made, which will ultimately be made by the FIA and its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem .
“I think right now, looking at the current state of F1, it’s not a problem of quantity to be able to increase the value of the category,” Domenicali responded when asked by Motorsport.com how things stood with Andretti .
“It’s really a matter of understanding, and not only among those with a bigger or stronger voice, there will be other people as well, but Andretti was quite vocal in his request. There are others who have done the same thing, in a different way.” .
“So the evaluation is not only with Andretti, the evaluation also influences others who are respecting the silence to try to be more productive and show who they are, respecting the protocol that we have put in place.”
“As I’ve always said, I don’t think the problem is having more teams that give more value to the championship.”
“But there is a protocol that has to be followed. And everyone, Andretti included, is following it. So this is the current situation. I don’t see any change. And I don’t want to say yes or no.”
Stefano Domenicali, CEO of la Fórmula 1, with Toto Wolff, director and CEO of Mercedes AMG
When asked at the last Hungarian GP about Andretti’s plans, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested he would back a manufacturer that wanted to create a works team, saying that would add more to the series than Andretti’s name. .
Later, Michael Andretti’s father, Mario , said on social media that Wolff had too much influence in Formula 1, and when asked about the elder Andretti’s comments, Domenicali defended the Mercedes director.
“Well, I think Toto has a position as a team manager,” he said. “He is a 30% shareholder in Mercedes, he has the reputation of having won eight titles in a row. So if I talk about his credibility, there is nothing to add.”
“I’ve known Mario very, very well, for a long time. He’s trying to present his idea in the way that he thinks is the right way to do it.”
“But I think that, as you know, there is a government in place. And the decision has to follow the established protocol. And Mario is very expressive, Michael too. I have spoken with them very often, as you can imagine, and we have to respect that. “.
“We can have different opinions, but in the end it is about following the protocol. And there is someone who has to make the final decision. As I said, right now I don’t see a weakness in the number of teams that there are in F1. That is my opinion”.
Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi and Michael Bay
Regarding the possibility that a manufacturer could enter F1 with a new team, he said: “Today we are talking about the new regulations, from 2026. And all the manufacturers involved in that, the current ones or perhaps the new ones that will arrive, are saying that time is running very fast, it takes four years to make another power unit”.
“We have to be cautious because when we talk about F1, we need to have an entity or a team or a manufacturer that is really solid, that is really strong and that is fully committed to an incredible long-term future.”
“So this is what I can really add, but again, I honestly don’t see the need to increase the number of teams to have a big benefit for F1.”
A render of an Audi F1
Domenicali also downplayed the theory that the number of entries should be expanded from 10 to protect the series from possible loss of teams in the future, given that most manufacturers have historically shown they are drop-in and drop-out.
The Italian believes that external interest is good for the teams present, as it increases their value.
“I think right now that’s not a problem,” he said. “In fact, it’s the opposite situation. We have the same situation as the grand prix: there are more people who want to enter, by far, than people who want to leave.”
“And since there is interest from many manufacturers, but also from many teams, the current ones can discuss and market and negotiate with them if they feel that they are weak or if they see that they do not have a future for themselves.”
“So I think it’s also another value for those who are already here, to know that around them there are manufacturers or other teams that want to enter the business. So it is a fact that, in my opinion, of course that will reinforce the value of the F1”.
