FIA President's Bold Vision: A Chinese F1 Manufacturer
Feb.17 - Mohammed Ben Sulayem admits he already has a preferred contender to move into the final team garage in the Formula 1 pitlane.
Having fought hard against Liberty Media and the existing ten teams, the FIA president ultimately got his wish of welcoming Cadillac as the eleventh team for 2026 and beyond.
Now he's an eyeing a twelfth team.
"It's been my dream for the last two years that the big countries should have a presence in Formula 1," Ben Sulayem told French newspaper Le Figaro.
"The United States will be with General Motors. The next step is to welcome a Chinese manufacturer. We already have a driver," the FIA president added, referring to Guanyu Zhou, who will be a Ferrari reserve in 2025.
And while he would like more teams, Ben Sulayem is also clear about something he would like to see less of - grands prix.
"I think 24 is a bit too much," the controversial 63-year-old said. "I said it and was attacked by many media outlets. But 20 grands prix is enough."
However, he said it is ultimately commercial rights holder Liberty Media's right to max out the calendar as far as the Concorde Agreement will allow.
"It is not the FIA's responsibility," admitted the FIA president.
However, he thinks Liberty is actually doing a "great job", even though he thinks the American conglomerate is straying too far from the sport's European roots.
"It is good when Formula 1 opens up new markets and new countries," said Ben Sulayem. "But we must not forget where the story began.
"I couldn't be happier if F1 returned to France, but also to Germany," he insisted.
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Another new entrant wouldn't join in the short to medium term in any case & he's a bit imprecise about Zhou, who isn't a full-time F1 driver anymore, & is unlikely to become a full-timer again unless a return happens for next year.
24 itself is perfectly okay, with the long-term regionalization phase making it a bit more bearable.
Finally, French & German GP returns are unlikely unless they happened with city circuits due to F1's general trend that started a while ago.
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