FIA president opens a can of worms with latest disagreement with F1 CEO

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has disagreed with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on the potential addition of a 12th team to the grid. Over a week ago, Domenicali stated that the series has "no more room" to accommodate another team after Cadillac's entry.

The former Ferrari Team Principal admitted that the logistical challenge would increase multifold if a 12th team were to enter.

"We have to be cautious. We’ll only evaluate a bid of great significance because I think we’re already at a point with no more room – logistically we’re at the limit," Domenicali said via Autosport.

However, the Italian did admit that there was a lot of financial interest in investing in F1, with the series growing at a rapid pace globally. While Mohammed Ben Sulayem acknowledged that Stefano Domenicali might be right in his stance from a commercial perspective, he disagreed on the sporting front. In an interview with Swiss publication Expressen, he said:

"My dear Stefano belongs to the commercial side. Me to the sporting one. He is the CEO of a company, and I understand that he has to think about the financials. More teams mean more people who want to eat from the same cake. Do we need another team? No, we need the right team. It's not about quantity. It's about quality. But that would make things very interesting."

He used the example of the FIA's handling of Cadillac's F1 bid to explain his rationale.

"Why was Cadillac right? They went through the right process. They weren't just chosen based on brand or name. The FIA went through everything, and they ticked all the boxes. We only choose the very best," the FIA president added.

The General Motors-backed Cadillac F1 team will enter the pinnacle of motorsport in 2026, with its cars powered by Ferrari engines.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali on what caused the U-turn in Andretti/Cadillac stance

Michael Andretti at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Sprint - Source: Getty

Stefano Domenicali recently explained what led F1 to green-light Cadillac's 2026 entry in November 2024, only 11 months after it had rejected the bid, citing concerns about competitive and value addition. When Michael Andretti was the face of the project, it was rumored that 'politics' were involved from the series' side, which did not want his team's presence.

His father and racing legend Mario Andretti had admitted that it was a real concern. The claim was seemingly proved when F1 took a U-turn on its earlier rejection just under two months after Michael stepped aside from Andretti Global, which was backing the bid.

However, Stefano Domenical recently highlighted that it was the addition of General Motors that changed F1's stance.

"We’ve always said it was fundamental for us [Liberty Media] to have a quality project on the table to evaluate in the medium and long term. When we received the Andretti project, our view was negative, not because Andretti wasn’t good. Mario is a legend, an icon of this sport, and a friend. We simply didn’t see the substance behind the project that we consider necessary. Things changed when General Motors came in. We saw significant investment with a 10-year plan and immediately spoke favourably because we believe, in this case, the project can bring added value to the system."

Cadillac has signed Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez as its two drivers for the 2026 season. IndyCar driver Colton Herta will leave sister team Andretti Global to serve as Cadillac's test driver. The team has yet to announce a reserve driver.

Edited by Yash Kotak