“Why rock the boat” - Steiner downplays need for 11th team in F1

A number of parties, including Andretti, are keen on joining the F1 grid in the coming seasons as the sport continues to grow at a remarkable rate.

Andretti’s bid has been met with some resistance, particularly from the majority of the existing teams, who are concerned that a new constructor would dilute the sport.

They are also concerned that an additional 11th team would see a reduction in money they would get from the FIA at the end of the year.

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Speaking in Miami, Steiner said that there needs to be an “upside” to having an additional team or two on the grid.

“For me saying it’s 11 or 12, I’m not in a position to know what they bring to the sport,” he said. But I think if we got more teams, there needs to be an upside for the 10 which are here, you know, and then I think nobody will have anything against it. But there needs to be an upside and not just more sharing. 

“So I think it could be 11, could be 12, could be 13, I don’t know. But in the end, FIA and FOM are looking into it and seeing if they can bring an upside to the 10 stakeholders, as the guys said here, which are very solid now, all 10 of them. We didn’t have that for a long time. 

“The competition is getting closer as well. Financially, everybody’s stable. Why should we rock that boat, you know, if there is not more coming to us?”

Red Bull boss Christian Horner shared a similar view to Steiner, citing finances.

However, he did also make the point that some tracks would struggle to facilitate 11 or 12 F1 teams in a paddock.

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“Yeah, I think the issues remain the same as 12 months ago, both fiscally – what is the incentive for an existing team or franchise to accept an 11th entrant – and then ultimately, who pays?” he explained. 

“I mean, if it dilutes the income of the 10, it’s like turkeys voting for Christmas. Why would they do that? You know, are Liberty prepared to pay and fund an 11th team, are the FIA prepared to reduce their fees to help accommodate it? So, you know, there are all the financial aspects.

“But I think beyond that, as well is, with the way that the sport has now developed, if you look at the pit lane, for example, here or somewhere like Monaco, Zandvoort, or some of the circuits that we’re now racing at, where would we be able to accommodate an 11th team? I think that in itself, just operationally, where do we put the motorhomes? 

“Where do we put the support? Where do the trucks go? I just think it would be an incredibly difficult thing to be accommodated with the way that the sport has currently evolved as well.”