Christian Horner presents yet another complaint against Andretti’s F1 entry, says it will be ‘difficult to accommodate’ them
Christian Horner believes that many Formula 1 venues would be unable to “accommodate” an 11th team.
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Christian Horner. Image via The Independent.
Red Bull team boss, Christian Horner, has been against Andretti-Cadillac joining the Formula 1 grid. In January, Andretti stated that they wanted to join the sport as the 11th team. While some reactions were positive, others questioned whether they could provide growth for F1. Horner is opposed to them entering F1. According to him and other teams, an 11th entry in F1 would reduce the prize money.
Horner believes that an additional team would dilute the value of the current ten teams on the grid. Initially, McLaren and Alpine had no issues with Andretti entering F1. But the other eight teams do not want to dilute their prize fund. The anti-dilution fee for a new team is $200 million, and it will be split among the F1 teams. But the value will undoubtedly increase with the sport’s growing popularity.
Though the teams gave the prize money as their concern, the Red Bull boss has new arguments now. “With the way Formula 1 has developed, if you look at the pit lane, for example, here [in Miami] or somewhere like Monaco or Zandvoort, or on certain circuits where we are going to compete, where could we accommodate an eleventh team?,” Christian Horner stated to motorsportweek.com.
Christian Horner raises important questions regarding the 11th F1 team
Horner spoke about the issue during the Miami Grand Prix last weekend. He claims there won’t be enough place to accommodate another team. The Red Bull boss added, “In itself, only operationally, where to place the motorhomes? Where to place the assistance? Where are the trucks going? I think it would be incredibly difficult to accommodate an eleventh team given the current evolution of F1.”
Horner claims there are other reasons beyond the financial aspects. He cited examples like Monaco and Zandvoort and does not think there would be enough space in the paddock for another team. However, Horner was not alone, as Mercedes team boss and arch-rival Toto Wolff backed him. According to them, any new entry in F1 must bring additional value to the sport, or else there is no point.
It is important to note that the teams have no say on this subject. They are not part of the process of choosing a new F1 team. Wolff stated that an 11th entry would be welcomed if they could bring “something new to the show.”
Wolff stated that it would help if they invested plenty of marketing dollars like Red Bull and Mercedes with hundreds of millions. But then again, the current teams are not a part of the governance. There is one person who is all for Andretti Cadillac’s F1 entry. It is none other than the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)