FIA President offers timeline for decision on new F1 entrants

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hopes to reveal "next month" the results of the governing body's review of the applications filed by several teams bidding for a spot on the grid in Formula 1.

It is believed that five outfits, including leading candidates Andretti-Cadillac and Hitech GP, responded to the FIA's 'Expression of Interest' appeal, a comprehensive inquiry launched in February that aims to assess the viability of each candidate's F1 project.

Ben Sulayem reckoned that the results of the FIA review, with F1 also involved in the process, should be made public in the next "four to six weeks".

"I hope we can make the announcement next month," Ben Sulayem told Formula.hu last weekend in Hungary.

"We are talking about serious people and we don’t want to exclude anyone without a thorough review of the applications we have received.

"We are talking about big names and big money. I think the letter of intent (idea) was the right decision and the contract says that there can be 12 teams in the F1 field.

"Of course, we don’t want just any team, we want 'A' teams and we need a car manufacturer: I prefer manufacturers because it would be good for the sport.

"We’ve taken our time, the FIA team has worked very hard on the letter of intent, we’ve had meetings with the teams to review their bids and I think we’ll have a final decision in four to six weeks."

Earlier this month, Ben Sulayem publicly declared his support for Michael Andretti's F1 endeavor, given that it is backed by partner Chrysler's parent company General Motors.

• Read also: Domenicali on 11th F1 team: 'I'm not changing my mind'

However, while the FIA will share the results of its review with Formula 1 and engage with the latter to discuss the merits of each prospective entry, the two parties appear to remain very much at odds over the very principle of expanding the grid.

Formula 1 remains largely opposed to accepting an 11th team on the grid – let alone two - as this would only dilute the prize money fund from which the teams derive the principal of their revenue, despite the requirement that new teams pay a $200 million anti-dilution fee on entry.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has also argued that several venues currently on the calendar do not have the logistics to accommodate an eleventh team.

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali has said that the FIA cannot force F1 to accept a new team within its ranks. Nevertheless, the governing body is moving forward but whether its initiative will result in a resolution with F1 or a monumental clash with the latter is anybody's guess.

In any case, Ben Sulayem appears determined to hold the FIA's ground, warning that there will be no "manipulation" on its part to adjust to F1's desires.

"It’s obviously a political and financial issue," Ben Sulayem added.

"But it’s clear to me that the FIA has to respect the treaties and we are regulated by the EU. We cannot manipulate anything.

"If a team is interested and our rules say we can have so many teams, how can we say no?

"I understand the concerns of other teams, especially the financial part of it, the distribution of it, but I am not here to upset anyone, I am here to do the right thing for the sport.

"We’re happy to sit down with everybody and give advice, but we can’t say to a big team that wants to come into F1, go and buy a stable or you can’t come. I think that’s wrong."

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