04 October 2023 , 21:30
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Lawrence Stroll made it crystal clear he and his Aston Martin team are opposed to the idea of an 11th Formula 1 team.
The FIA opened the door for a potential new entrant in the sport with its Expressions of Interest process. After months of analysis after several submissions were received, the governing body announced on Monday that all but one of the applications had been unsuccessful.
The approved bid, made by former driver Michael Andretti and his racing team, supported by General Motors through its Cadillac brand, will now be considered by F1 chiefs for its commercial merits.
F1 has been sceptical about the idea of adding new teams since the FIA launched its process. And the existing 10 teams, for the most part, have also been critical of the idea.
Aston Martin owner Stroll's stance on the matter has clearly not softened. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Canadian businessman pointed to evidence of F1's current health as an indication that new teams are not needed.
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"I think F1, at the moment, the business is on fire," he said. "The sport has never been in a better place and I believe if it ain't broke, you don't need to fix it. So, I'm a strong believer that it's working really well with 10 teams right now, and I believe that's the way it should stay.
"The sport and the business is on fire. There has never been more fans and spectators – the audience is the highest it's ever been. I continue to see substantial growth, particularly in the United States which is the largest consumer market in the world. As you know, we now have three races in the States. It's the second year in Miami [and] we're going to Las Vegas in November. So I see tremendous growth possibilities going forward."
Andretti hopes to make it on to the grid in time to start the 2025 season. But F1 chiefs are in no rush to make their own decision on whether or not the American will be allowed to join the sport and could take many months to come to a conclusion.
A statement read: "We note the FIA's conclusions in relation to the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application."
Responding to its FIA approval, Andretti took the opportunity to pitch the benefits it claims it will bring to the sport. "We feel strongly that Andretti Cadillac's deep racing competencies and the technological advancements that come from racing will benefit our customers while heightening enthusiasm for F1, globally," the team said.