Motorsport governing organization FIA has announced that it “has opened a new selection process to identify a candidate team to participate in the Championship.” This means anyone who wants to field a team as early as 2016 and 2017 can do so, if they’ve got what it takes.
Teams who are interested are required to register a formal expression of interest with the FIA before June 30th. From that pool, the FIA will offer applications to those from that pool deemed worthy, for them to submit by the 1st of September. They will then announce which team (if any) will join the grid.
Before any SCCA members scramble to get their buddies together, keep in mind that FIA will judge any group interested on their technical resources, the ability to maintain sufficient funding, and the team’s ability to bring a level of competitiveness to the championship.
Applicants will most likely come from a high-level motorsport series like the GP2 series or possibly from the Indy racing series. Indeed, Gene Haas of NASCAR’s Stewart-Haas Racing will field a new, U.S.-based F1 team on the grid next year, so anything is possible. The joining of Haas F1 and a brand new team would bring the gird count back to a full 12 teams for the first time since the 2012 season.
It’s an interesting announcement to make in lieu of the recent situation, with teams like Caterham declaring bankruptcy before being dissolved and Manor F1 limping through the current season. We know that those in charge are desperate to shake things up in Formula 1 in order to dramatically raise the level of excitement and viewership. Hopefully the inclusion of some fresh blood will give the sport the boost many agree it desperately needs.
