Ben Sulayem dreams big: 'Factory teams from US and China'

The selection process for admitting new F1 teams is currently in full swing. Among others, Andretti Cadillac and Hitech teams are seriously interested in joining the sport, but Hong Kong businessman Calvin Lo also seemed to hint at an application for a long time. However, this project seems to have come to nothing. FIA president Ben Sulayem previously revealed that he would welcome new factory teams with open arms. During an interview over the Grand Prix weekend at Spa, he further explained his dreams.

Ben Sulayem wants US and Chinese teams

Ben Sulayem hopes to get factory teams from the United States and China to find Formula 1. According to him, that would be good for the sport to grow even further worldwide. "I dream big, but this dream is also attainable. I would like to see factory teams from the US and from China. China has 1.4 billion people, and more than 50 per cent of electric cars are produced in China. China is a very big market."

New F1 engine regulations from 2026

The introduction of the new engine regulations from 2026 is a good decision, according to Ben Sulayem. Without these changes, he wonders whether Audi would have made the move into Formula 1. The FIA president also looks further afield and sees opportunities for Chinese manufacturers in the new engine: "In the field of electromobility and hybrids, Chinese are really serious. We introduced the regulations from 2026 because I believe this is the best thing for Formula 1. The door for new manufacturers opened, and from then on, Ford and Audi came, and Honda is coming back".