Christian Horner says he's looking forward to the "jousting behind closed doors" that will inevitably take place between the teams and Formula 1 as they negotiate Grand Prix racing's next Concore Agreement.
The next all-important covenant that dictates the commercial, financial and governance terms that bind the teams to the sport will come into effect at the start of 2026, at the end of the current contract that started in 2022.
The parties have yet to begin their negotiations and the latter will take place amid Formula 1's growing popularity and financial growth which might entice the teams to seek a larger share of the sport's revenue.
"Formula 1 is in fantastic health at the moment, you can see Formula 1 is flying and has never been in a stronger position," commented Horner recently.
"Liberty has done a great job with the sport. We're seeing new markets, new growth, new fans, and a new demographic of fans.
"There's always going to be that debate between the teams and the Commercial Rights Holder of who should have the more value, and I look forward to the jousting that will no doubt take place behind doors."
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Horner stresses that beyond the teams' monetary concerns, the longevity of the next Concorde deal will also be a main focus during talks.
"Longevity is in the best interest of everybody, to have a settled sport that has a clear direction for the future, of what its goals and objectives are, together with the Technical Regulations and Sporting Regulations and Financial Regulations that we want to develop for the future, to just continue to make the sport better and more appealing and more inclusive, over the coming years."
The last round of negotiations between the sport's Commercial Rights Holder and the teams, which took place in 2020, was an arduous and exhausting affair that concluded on the eve of a deadline set by the FIA.
Last month, speaking at a Liberty Media investor conference, Liberty chief executive Greg Maffei said that it is in all parties' interest – including the FIA – to unite and to swiftly hammer out a new agreement that will likely run until 2030.
"Stefano [Domenicali – F1 CEO] and I were talking about this, what we might want and when to go," said Maffei.
"We think it is in everybody's interest, the teams, ours and the FIA's, to solidify the success we collectively have had and show the world we are together moving forward.
"So I don't think this is going to go to the end the way prior ones have gone."
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