Andretti has made clear his frustration with the apparent slow progress on his bid to rejoin the series with a brand new team, after failing in his bid to buy the Sauber organization.
Domenicali suggested he was happy with the current figure of 10 participants and that a newcomer was not needed to add value to the sport. He also pointed out that, along with Andretti, other parties have shown interest in entering, but have so far kept a lower profile.
An entry assessment process is underway, but no details have been released on how it will unfold or on a timeline for a decision, which will ultimately be made by the FIA under its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“I think today, in the current status of F1, it’s not a problem of quantity, where we can see a step of increasing the value of F1,” Domenicali replied when asked by Autosport. on the status of Andretti’s entry offer.
“It’s a matter of understanding really, not only those who have a bigger or louder voice, but there will be other people, because Andretti has been quite vocal on his request. There are others who did the same thing, in a different way.
“So the evaluation is not just with Andretti, the evaluation is with others who respect the silence trying to be more productive in proving who they are and respecting the protocol that we have in place.
“As I’ve always said, I don’t think it’s the problem today of having more teams that will give more value to the championship.
“But there is a protocol that must be respected. And everyone, including Andretti, follows that. So that’s the situation today. I don’t see any change. And I don’t want to say yes or no.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula 1, with Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Asked in Hungary about Andretti’s plans, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested it would be more favorable if a new manufacturer considered entering a works team, saying it would add more to the sport than the Andretti’s name.
Afterwards, Michael Andretti’s father, Mario, suggested on social media that Wolff had too much influence in the sport. Asked about the elder Andretti’s comments, Domenicali defended Wolff.
“Well, I believe Toto has a team manager position,” he said. “He is a 30% shareholder in Mercedes, he has the reputation of having won eight victories. [titles] in a row. So I mean his credibility, there’s nothing to add.
“Mario, I know him very, very well, for a long time. He tries to present his idea in a way that he thought was the right way to do it. [it].
“But I believe, as you know, there is governance in place. And the decision must follow the protocol in place. And Mario is very vocal, Michael too. And I spoke with them quite often, as you can imagine. And we have to respect that.
“We may have different opinions, ultimately it’s about following protocol. And there is someone who has to make the final decision. As I said, today I don’t see any weakness in the number of teams in F1. It’s my opinion.
Mario Andretti, with Emerson Fittipaldi and with Michael Bay
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
On the suggestion that a manufacturer could enter F1 with a new team, he said: “Today we are talking about the new regulations, 2026. And all the manufacturers involved in that, the holders or maybe the new that we will see, say that time passes very quickly, four years to make another power unit.
“We have to be careful because when we talk about F1, we have to have an entity or a team or a manufacturer that is really solid, really strong and fully committed to an incredible long-term future.
“So that’s what I can really add on the status of the art, but as I said today, I honestly don’t see the need for this increase, to have a big benefit for the sport. of F1.”
Rendering of the Audi F1 car
Photo by: Camille Debastiani
Domenicali also played down the suggestion that the entry should be widened by 10 to protect the sport from potential loss of teams in the future, given that manufacturers have a history of coming and going.
Rather, he suggested that outside interest was good for the incumbents, actually increasing their value.
“I think today it’s not a problem,” he said. “We have the opposite. We have the same situation as the Grands Prix – more people wanting in, by far, than people wanting to leave.
“Because there is interest from a lot of manufacturers, but also from a lot of teams, the real ones can discuss, market and negotiate with them, if they feel weak, or if they feel that there is no there is no future for them.
“So I think that’s also another value for those who are here, knowing that around them there are manufacturers or other teams who want to be in the business. So it’s a fact that, in my opinion will of course enhance the value of F1.”
Andretti has made clear his frustration with the apparent slow progress on his bid to rejoin the series with a brand new team, after failing in his bid to buy the Sauber organization.
Domenicali suggested he was happy with the current figure of 10 participants and that a newcomer was not needed to add value to the sport. He also pointed out that, along with Andretti, other parties have shown interest in entering, but have so far kept a lower profile.
An entry assessment process is underway, but no details have been released on how it will unfold or on a timeline for a decision, which will ultimately be made by the FIA under its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“I think today, in the current status of F1, it’s not a problem of quantity, where we can see a step of increasing the value of F1,” Domenicali replied when asked by Autosport. on the status of Andretti’s entry offer.
“It’s a matter of understanding really, not only those who have a bigger or louder voice, but there will be other people, because Andretti has been quite vocal on his request. There are others who did the same thing, in a different way.
“So the evaluation is not just with Andretti, the evaluation is with others who respect the silence trying to be more productive in proving who they are and respecting the protocol that we have in place.
“As I’ve always said, I don’t think it’s the problem today of having more teams that will give more value to the championship.
“But there is a protocol that must be respected. And everyone, including Andretti, follows that. So that’s the situation today. I don’t see any change. And I don’t want to say yes or no.
Stefano Domenicali, CEO, Formula 1, with Toto Wolff, Team Principal and CEO, Mercedes AMG
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Asked in Hungary about Andretti’s plans, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested it would be more favorable if a new manufacturer considered entering a works team, saying it would add more to the sport than the Andretti’s name.
Afterwards, Michael Andretti’s father, Mario, suggested on social media that Wolff had too much influence in the sport. Asked about the elder Andretti’s comments, Domenicali defended Wolff.
“Well, I believe Toto has a team manager position,” he said. “He is a 30% shareholder in Mercedes, he has the reputation of having won eight victories. [titles] in a row. So I mean his credibility, there’s nothing to add.
“Mario, I know him very, very well, for a long time. He tries to present his idea in a way that he thought was the right way to do it. [it].
“But I believe, as you know, there is governance in place. And the decision must follow the protocol in place. And Mario is very vocal, Michael too. And I spoke with them quite often, as you can imagine. And we have to respect that.
“We may have different opinions, ultimately it’s about following protocol. And there is someone who has to make the final decision. As I said, today I don’t see any weakness in the number of teams in F1. It’s my opinion.
Mario Andretti, with Emerson Fittipaldi and with Michael Bay
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
On the suggestion that a manufacturer could enter F1 with a new team, he said: “Today we are talking about the new regulations, 2026. And all the manufacturers involved in that, the holders or maybe the new that we will see, say that time passes very quickly, four years to make another power unit.
“We have to be careful because when we talk about F1, we have to have an entity or a team or a manufacturer that is really solid, really strong and fully committed to an incredible long-term future.
“So that’s what I can really add on the status of the art, but as I said today, I honestly don’t see the need for this increase, to have a big benefit for the sport. of F1.”
Rendering of the Audi F1 car
Photo by: Camille Debastiani
Domenicali also played down the suggestion that the entry should be widened by 10 to protect the sport from potential loss of teams in the future, given that manufacturers have a history of coming and going.
Rather, he suggested that outside interest was good for the incumbents, actually increasing their value.
“I think today it’s not a problem,” he said. “We have the opposite. We have the same situation as the Grands Prix – more people wanting in, by far, than people wanting to leave.
“Because there is interest from a lot of manufacturers, but also from a lot of teams, the real ones can discuss, market and negotiate with them, if they feel weak, or if they feel that there is no there is no future for them.
“So I think that’s also another value for those who are here, knowing that around them there are manufacturers or other teams who want to be in the business. So it’s a fact that, in my opinion will of course enhance the value of F1.”