Formula 1
Wolff: Audi as new entrant could deliver extra value for F1 grid
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff thinks Audi's interest in entering Formula 1 would warrant expanding the grid to 11 teams as it could likely bring extra value to all existing outfits.
Filip Cleeren Jonathan Noble
Edited: Aug 7, 2022, 1:53 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
US racing stalwart Michael Andretti's bid to expand his multi-series operation to F1 has been met by fierce resistance from most of the discipline's current 10 entrants.
Concerned teams are weary of having to share F1's prize money with an additional competitor and feel the current $200 million dilution fund is not sufficient as the value of owning an F1 entry has significantly increased since that price was set, owing to the sport's burgeoning global interest and the newly implemented budget cap.
But amid interest of Audi joining the sport, Mercedes chief Wolff believes the German manufacturer's size and marketing power would make it a more suitable 11th entrant than Andretti, even as the American outfit has become a global powerhouse active across IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and Australian Supercars.
Asked explicitly in light of the uncertainty over the Andretti team's situation whether a new entry from Audi would change the perspective of existing teams, Wolff said: "I think that whoever joins as the 11th team, whoever gets an entry, needs to demonstrate how creative they can be for the business.
"Andretti is a great name, and I think they have done exceptional things in the US. But this is sport and this is business and we need to understand what is it that you can provide to the sport.
"And if an OEM or an international, multinational group joins F1 and can demonstrate that they are going to spend X amount of dollars in activating, in marketing in the various markets; that's obviously a totally different value proposition for all the other teams."
Michael Andretti, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman Andretti Autosport
Photo by: Andreas Beil
Wolff says F1 wants to continue increasing its value over the coming years and thinks any new entrants must contribute to that process.
"With 10 franchises that we hope can increase the value, and you're certainly not going to increase the value by just issuing new franchises to people that cannot increase the overall value of Formula 1."
In addition to Audi, VW Group sister marque Porsche is close to agreeing a significant shareholding and power unit supply deal with Red Bull Racing from 2026, when F1's new engine rules come into play.
Meanwhile, Red Bull's current engine partner Honda, which has officially left F1 but still cooperates with the Milton Keynes outfit, is considering re-joining F1 in 2026 as the sport shifts to sustainable fuels and a simplified hybrid system.
Read Also:
- F1 revenues boosted by 49% as series emerges from COVID-19 pandemic
- The key aspects of Porsche and Audi's planned F1 entries
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article F1 revenues boosted by 49% as series emerges from COVID-19 pandemic
Next article Alpine confident it will beat Aston Martin while Alonso is there
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Filip Cleeren
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
19 min
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Kimi Antonelli delivers Austin surprise pole in tricky Mercedes: "Finally we're seeing the results"
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
13 h
Kimi Antonelli delivers Austin surprise pole in tricky Mercedes: "Finally we're seeing the results"
Latest news
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Australian GP
1 min
Winner and losers from MotoGP’s cancelled Australian GP weekend
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
19 min
Inside COTA's Turn 1 clubhouse and its plans to build a second track
Max Verstappen puzzled by Q3 grip loss, but Austin shows how far Red Bull has progressed
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
Max Verstappen puzzled by Q3 grip loss, but Austin shows how far Red Bull has progressed
Carson Hocevar says Zane Smith feud is "pretty one-sided"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
3 h
Carson Hocevar says Zane Smith feud is "pretty one-sided"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe