International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has revealed Andretti Autosport are the only team to express interest in a Formula One entry.
At the start of 2023, Ben Sulayem announced a new entry process for prospective Formula One teams, following public statements by the likes of Andretti Autosport and Hong Kong-based billionaire Calvin Lo.
However, the FIA president has revealed that, since this new system has been implemented, only Andretti have followed up with concrete interest, with support from General Motors' brand Cadillac.
“To us directly, it's Andretti,” Ben Sulayem told Motorsport.com, clarifying that it was “up to now” the only party to have come forward.
He continued: “How can we say no to [Andretti and General Motors]? We talk about the United States, we have three races there, it's very healthy. But I am elected not to make money, I'm elected to sustain motorsport, clearly.”
Ben Sulayem noting that he is “elected not to make money” comes after he weighed in on the reported US$20 billion valuation of Formula One by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, calling the number 'inflated'.
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Not only is the FIA a non-profit organisation, it also has no jurisdiction over the commercial interests of Formula One, something Ben Sulayem appears to be perturbed by.
However, while he is clearly keen for new teams to join the Formula One grid, Ben Sulayem should be wary of speaking out against Formula One too often.
Tensions between the two organisations are at an all-time high, and he risks deepening the divide if he continues to stoke the flames.