FIA President’s stark disagreement with FOM highlights a pivotal moment for F1, emphasizing a vision for more teams over increasing races.
The FIA President, the governing body of F1, has confirmed a fundamental disagreement with FOM, the commercial rights holder of the sport.
As F1 gears up for the 2024 season opener in Bahrain, prominent figures like Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso have already voiced their opposition to the now-grueling 24-race calendar.
When asked about this at the Geneva Motor Show, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s response was telling.
“I’ve always believed that we need more teams rather than more races,” he stated.
This marks a clear jab at Liberty Media, the F1 rights holder, responsible for commercial agreements with race promoters and the calendar scheduling, and for excluding Andretti-Cadillac from the sport until at least 2028.
Under Ben Sulayem’s leadership, the FIA had already greenlit Andretti’s bid to become Formula 1’s eleventh team by 2025, and the federation’s president stood by his decision.
“We scrutinized the application in detail and approved it. However, we only oversee the sporting aspect, not the commercial side.”
“As a sports official, my dream is to have an American team in Formula 1, not just a team and a driver, but also a manufacturer. They are vital for the sport as a whole. We would welcome Chinese teams and manufacturers with the same enthusiasm.”
“I also truly hope that Audi will join in 2026 as announced and that General Motors will be there in two years.”
FIA FOM F1 Disagreement f1 2024. FIA FOM F1 Disagreement f1 2024.
- FIA Reverses Slow Lap Rules in F1 Qualifying
- Following us on Facebook and Twitter.
