F1 should look after existing teams as a priority - Steiner

Haas' Gunther Steiner believes Formula 1's management should cater in priority to the needs of the sport's existing ten teams before setting its sights on attracting new entrants.

The sport is at a crossroads as new owners Liberty Media its defines F1's path to the future, on both the regulatory and the economic front.

Earlier this year, the FIA revealed that interest from potential new entrants was ramping up, but Steiner says the focus should be on establishing , first and foremost, a solid and promising foundation on which F1's current teams can grow.

"Everybody will get a little bit annoyed, but everybody has to make compromises for the good of the group," Steiner said.

"I think at the moment we should look after the 10 teams that are here. I’m not against new teams, but you cannot mix it all up."

• Steiner supportive of new engine rules

As a reminder the Haas F1 Team is F1's most recent member, having joined the fray at the beginning of 2016. The US outfit has acquitted itself relatively well given the huge challenges facing any new Grand Prix team.

"At the moment you have got two groups of people, the real big teams and the small teams. If you now introduce also new teams you get a third factor which is a completely different thing because we did it years ago," he added.

"For example, how you manage costs, there is a difference because you need to make a big initial investment.

"I would say let’s agree between the 10 teams here and get it to work, and then try to find more teams - not try to find new teams now because a lot of people now think they can come in and make money immediately because there is a new contract now.

"It will take a while until you make money, so I think there are 10 solid teams here at the moment - let’s make them even more solid or stabilise them, and then go for the next two or three teams or whatever."

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