“No reason” not to expand F1 to 12 teams

In brief

“No reason” not to expand F1 to 12 teams – Ben Sulayem

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says there is “no reason” not to expand the F1 grid up to 12 teams in light of Andretti and Cadillac’s intentions to join Formula 1.

Speaking at a press conference at the Dakar Rally, Ben Sulayem said the governing body would be open to approving any team considered good enough to enter F1 “even if they are small”.

“In general, if we look at the sustainability of Formula 1, we have to open it up to other brands. We can have up to 12 teams on the grid,” said Ben Sulayem.

“An OEM – manufacturer – will help make Formula 1 better and I see no reason for which we should not welcome new teams, especially the Americans. We have three races there already this year. We welcome any proposal to be one of the 12 teams. We accept good teams, even if they are small, as is the case with Haas. We hope that things will change and we will be able to have a proper eleventh team, we’ll see what happens.”

Colapinto joins Williams junior programme

FIA Formula 3 racer Franco Colapinto has signed for the Williams Driver Academy to become the F1 team’s newest junior driver.

The 19-year-old will compete in his second season of the main F3 championship this year, racing with MP Motorsport once more. Colapinto took two wins and five podiums in the championship last year on his way to finishing ninth in the overall standings.

“It’s a real honour to join Williams Racing as an academy driver,” said Colapinto. “They are one of the most successful teams in Formula 1 history and I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of my fellow countryman Carlos Reutemann.

“My first year in FIA F3 was all about learning and I will use all the knowledge I’ve gathered to aim for the title next year.”

F1 Manager 2022’s sales “lower than expected”

Shares in F1 Manager 2022 developer Frontier Developments fell 42% yesterday after reduced revenue projections for both 2023 and 2024.

Frontier released the first instalment in their F1 Manager franchise last year, but reported “lower than expected sales” of F1 Manager 2022 as well as underperformance in the company’s other titles and own publishing label.

The developer has a three-game contract for its officially licensed F1 Management…