Lawrence Stroll urges F1 to stick to 10 teams following Andretti bid

Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll believes Formula 1 doesn’t need Andretti after the FIA ​​approved the American team’s bid to join; the Canadian billionaire was speaking at the announcement that the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie would be coming to Le Mans

Aston Martin executive chairman Lawrence Stroll says he “strongly believes” Formula 1 should remain a 10-team championship, despite the FIA’s approval for Andretti to become an eleventh constructor earlier this week.

Stroll took over Aston Martin in 2020 and transformed the Racing Point team into one of the most recognizable brands in the world, and says F1 has “never been in a better place”.

“I think things are on fire in F1 at the moment, the sport has never been in a better place and I believe if it ain’t broke, you don’t need to fix it,” said Stroll.

“So I strongly believe that it is working very well at the moment with ten teams, and I believe it should continue to be that way.”

American Andretti has been given the green light by the FIA ​​to enter Formula 1 as the new 11th team, but is now awaiting approval from F1’s owners.

In January the FIA, the sport’s governing body, launched an application process for new teams looking to enter Formula 1 in 2025, 2026 (when the new engine rules come into effect) or 2027.

Andretti’s bid would see it become the first F1 team based exclusively in the US, in line with other F1 expansions into the US market.

However, the addition of an extra team would mean that the prize money would be further distributed.

“There have never been so many fans and spectators at races. Crowds are at their highest ever. I continue to see substantial growth, especially in the United States, the largest consumer market in the world,” said Stroll.

“As you know, we now have three races in the United States: we are in our second year in Miami and go to Las Vegas in November.

“So I see huge growth opportunities for the future.”

The FIA ​​and Formula 1, owned by Liberty Media, which control the sport’s commercial rights, both have a say in the matter.

With the FIA ​​accepting Andretti’s application, their candidacy will be referred to Formula 1 for consideration.

Air sports understands that F1’s perspective on this issue will be purely commercial.

They are expected to review Andretti’s bid for several months before making a final decision on whether to award the entry.

“We note the FIA’s conclusions regarding the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application,” F1 said in a statement.

Stroll was speaking at the announcement of Aston Martin’s return to Le Mans.

The Aston Martin Valkyrie, designed by Red Bull CEO Adrian Newey, will take part in the famous race as Stroll looks for even more success in what he calls the ‘world’s biggest hypercar’.

“When I took over as Executive Chairman, my intention was to pilot the Valkyrie because it was designed with a passion for speed. are participating and we will compete in both Le Mans and the IMSA Series in 2025,” he said.

“When I took over, the history of Aston Martin racing goes back 110 years, we have achieved an impressive 19 victories in our class at Le Mans in the last twenty years.

“We’re definitely going to win. Just like everything else we do, we always try to win.”

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