Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been in hot waters since he irked Formula 1 Management last year. This year, the FIA launched an official process of vetting potential new entries for the sport. Most fans of the sport rejoiced it as Formula 1 currently has only 10 teams. They finally cleared one team, Andretti Motorsport backed by General Motors, for an entry. In a recent interview, Mohammed Ben Sulayem hinted at massive politics behind the scenes.
Formula 1 Teams don’t want a new team
It is common knowledge that the current Formula 1 teams do not want a new team coming into the sport. This is because of the current revenue-sharing model. All 10 teams get a slice of the revenue according to the constructors’ standings.
If an 11th team like Andretti and General Motors come in, the number of slices will increase. However, if the size of the pie doesn’t, the current Formula 1 teams will get less money.
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Shady Tactics and Persuasion
Andretti seems hell-bent on entering Formula 1. For a long time, the only way that looked likely was buying an existing team. They did try to buy Sauber, and even reportedly tried to buy Haas.
Recently, Mohammed Ben Sulayem revealed some Formula 1 teams tried persuading him to convince General Motors to buy a team. He said, “You cannot force Andretti/GM to buy another team just because they [current team owners] want to sell.”
“I won’t mention names but they were after me to go on and convince GM to do that. It’s not my job. I was not elected to do that. I am not a broker.”
A Lifeline
The FIA’s search for a new Formula 1 team gave Andretti and General Motors a lifeline they didn’t know they would get. Along with Andretti and General Motors, quite a few potential teams submitted their bids. However, theirs was the only proposal that met all the criteria of the FIA.
Also Read: Mohammed Ben Sulayem calls FIA ‘landlords’, ramps up pressure on Formula 1
Mohammed Ben Sulayem has escalated the pressure on Formula 1. He has mentioned how it’s not easy for the management to reject a team approved by the FIA. Keep following us to know how this story develops.
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