Liberty boss is open to an eleventh team, but foresees issues

Since Manor Racing quit in 2016, Formula 1 only has ten teams. Since then, there has been talk of whether an 11th team would be welcomed into the premier class of motorsport. Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei, Formula 1's rights holder, enlightens fans on the possibility during an appearance on the Walker Webcast.

Greg Maffei, president of Liberty Media, is personally open to an 11th team on the grid. "In the right set of circumstances, we would work to get the 11th team. Somebody who could bring a lot of value to the sport, a lot of value to the fans," says the American. But it won't be that easy, Maffei also acknowledges. After all, the other teams are not at all eager to add a new competitor. Why should a team like Williams, which is still rebuilding after a very poor few years, hope for a new group to enter with a big bag of money?

And then there is another problem. "The ten teams are splitting the profits that go to the teams, and dividing it 11 ways is not something they’re particularly enthused about," the Liberty boss argues. But Formula 1 has come up with a solution to this issue. If a team wants to enter now, it will have to pay a fee to enter, allowing more money back into the hands of the 'original' teams. "That was a huge change because historically, there was no such thing," Maffei excitedly voiced.

There are candidates for the possible 11th spot. England's Hitech Grand Prix wants to compete in Formula 1 from 2026. The team who have performed in Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula 4 announced via a press release that they have officially applied to the FIA. The motorsport federation will soon announce whether, and if so, which teams will be allowed to enter Formula 1.