Domenicali: F1 already at limit for new teams

Stefano Domenicali has played down the likelihood of a twelfth Formula 1 team joining the grid, despite FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s recent call for expansion.

In July, Ben Sulayem - currently campaigning for re-election against Tim Mayer - argued that with Cadillac set to become the eleventh entrant in 2026, the sport could handle 24 cars in total.

He even hinted a Chinese-backed project, potentially involving Geely, might be a candidate, but Domenicali, who along with the teams opposed Cadillac’s entry before ultimately conceding, insists Formula 1 has reached capacity.

“We have to be careful in this matter,” the F1 CEO said at Monza. “We will only evaluate the most serious and significant proposals, because in my opinion we have already reached the limit. From a logistical point of view, we are already at the limit of what is possible.”

He suggested that investor interest is better directed towards existing teams rather than entirely new operations.

“I see a lot of interest from investors looking to buy existing franchises - let’s call them that - because the value of the teams is growing exponentially, as is the financial interest in investing in Formula 1,” Domenicali explained. “But precisely because things are going well, we have to be careful and protect the value of what we have built.”