Otmar Szafnauer has revealed that he is working on a project for the entry of a new team into F1
After years in which Formula 1 has maintained a grid of only ten teams, Cadillac’s entry appears to have encouraged other potential newcomers. On The Team Principal podcast by The Race, Otmar Szafnauer – former team principal of Aston Martin and Alpine – revealed that he has been working for over a year on a project to bring a twelfth team into F1, backed by a manufacturer and a group of investors ready to get involved.
Szafnauer’s revelation
The project, which for now remains a proposal awaiting the launch of a new selection process by the FIA and F1, is already at an advanced stage, as Szafnauer himself explains: “The funding is already in place. I can say that these are serious people, with the financial capability needed to support an F1 team. And the manufacturer that wants to join has already been identified. . With the resources I’ve put together, we could be competitive in a short amount of time. I know which people to hire, and I’m confident I can convince them to join. The manufacturer that will supply the engine is highly competent“.
There’s no lack of ambition—nor of capital. Szafnauer explains that, if the FIA does not open the door to new entries, the investors involved would consider the idea of buying an existing team, provided the price is fair for both parties.
The entry of the team envisioned by Szafnauer would become a reality only in conjunction with a regulatory change phase, around 2030, when the next Concorde Agreement expires. Szafnauer also believes that an earlier entry window seems unlikely: “The most logical moment would be alongside a change in engine regulations, scheduled for the end of the next Concorde Agreement in 2030. I don’t know when—or if—the process for a 12th team will be opened, but if it happens, I want to be ready. And if it were to happen relatively soon, 2028 or 2029 would be a reasonable timeline to start racing“.
Photo: Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team, F1