Guenther Steiner says he is against another team joining the F1 grid, as speculation about Andretti’s entry bid continues to circulate.
Andretti has faced significant resistance in its efforts to compete in Formula 1, with most teams questioning the value of a new entry.
Despite the similarities between Haas and Andretti – with the former having joined the grid relatively recently – Guenther Steiner sees no reason to accommodate a new team.
Steiner did not mention any team specifically, but he was very clear in his opposition to the Formula 1 grid expanding to 11 teams.
CIRCUIT PAUL RICARD, FRANCE – JULY 23: Guenther Steiner, Team Principal, Haas F1, on the pit wall during the French GP at Circuit Paul Ricard on Saturday July 23, 2022 in Le Castellet, France. (Photo by Alastair Staley / LAT Images)
The Haas team principal has explained that – from his perspective – F1 will see no benefit from a new entrant joining the established teams.
Steiner gave his thoughts to Sky Sports:
“Five years ago – you could get teams for nothing. Nobody wanted them, they went out of business. Now all of a sudden, everyone wants a team.
“The ten teams which are here, they are all financially stable. They are all well set up. It’s a very good environment at the moment, nobody is struggling.
“So if you put an 11th team in, and you get a little bit of a dip in the economy, all of a sudden, people may struggle to survive.
“Why take that risk if there is no upside? Because an 11th team, what upside is it bringing?
“And it’s not for me to decide. It’s for FOM and the FIA to decide – because they are managing the business side of F1.
“But there is no upside at the moment for an 11th team for the other teams, so there is just risk – no benefit.”
It is unsurprising, though still disappointing that existing F1 teams only seem interested in preserving their prize money allocation when evaluating the prospect of a new team on the grid.
Whilst teams will inevitably fight to protect their interests, fans are increasingly frustrated about the resistance that Andretti continues to face.
Speculation that F1 could increase the entry fee (currently at $200 million) has only fueled criticisms about the treatment Andretti has faced.
Many arguments can be given to justify Andretti’s deservingness of a place in F1, but fundamentally, this issue comes down to the spirit of competition.
The Concorde agreement allows 12 teams to compete, so there is no reason – at least from a sporting perspective – to block capable new entries from racing.
In any case, at least for now, Andretti faces a long journey if they are to become Formula 1’s 11th team.
