Formula 1 News: Domenicali pushes back on Ben Sulayem’s 12th team idea

(GMM) Stefano Domenicali (pictured) has poured cold water on FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s suggestion that Formula 1’s grid could expand to 24 cars.

In July, Ben Sulayem – who is campaigning for re-election against challenger Tim Mayer – argued that with Cadillac joining as the eleventh entrant in 2026, the championship could cope with a twelfth team as well.

He even hinted that a Chinese-backed entry, rumored to possibly be Geely, could be in play.

But Formula 1’s CEO Domenicali, who together with the existing teams resisted the Cadillac entry before ultimately losing that battle, now insists the sport is already at its limit.

“We have to be careful in this matter,” he said. “We will only evaluate the most serious and significant proposals, because in my opinion we have already reached the limit. From a logistical point of view, we are already at the limit of what is possible.”

Instead, Domenicali sees momentum in investors buying into existing outfits rather than creating new ones.

“I see a lot of interest from investors looking to buy existing franchises – let’s call them that – because the value of the teams is growing exponentially, as is the financial interest in investing in Formula 1,” Domenicali said at Monza.

“But precisely because things are going well, we have to be careful and protect the value of what we have built.”