Formula 1 is finally ready to consider allowing an 11th team to join the grid, according to the sport's top boss.
Chief executive Stefano Domenicali confirmed as much as he appeared to change his tune on the topic. On more than one occasion this year he has played down the prospect of adding more teams to the grid.
At the start of the season he revealed there have been "many requests" from interested parties, but expressed his view that more cars on the grid will not bring "added value". And in September, Domenicali said that having more teams on the grid would risk the sport becoming "too crowded".
But now it seems he is more open to the idea. Speaking to investors on a call shortly after the release of F1 owners Liberty Media's financial results for the third quarter, the Italian hinted that the sport's position on that subject has moved.
"It is not a problem having one more team to have better racing, therefore we will see and we will monitor the situation," he said. "If there would be a real, credible new entry that wants to discuss with us, we are ready to discuss, but we are not in a rushed position today for that."
That statement is likely to be well received by Michael Andretti, who has been bullish in his desire to expand his racing team into F1. So far he has faced significant opposition, not least from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, but this concession from Domenicali may be a sign that the Andretti bid is starting to make some headway.
But the chief executive made it clear that the existing teams must not be harmed by any prospective new entry. "With regard to the value or the process of the possibility of bringing a new F1 team into the championship, of course, there is the primary step that both us and the FIA have to be in agreement on that," Domenicali added.
"And I think the first thing that we need to consider is, will this eventual possibility bring extra value to the championship? If so, of course, we are going to discuss it internally and we will see if there is any kind of real potential for a new entry that can give value to the championship.
"On top of this, there is a value that has to be recognised to the teams that are already in the championship, because, of course, they cannot allow any dilution of their partnership with the F1 championship. This is what is written in the Concorde Agreement but mainly, the point is that does a new entry bring a better position for the F1 world championship? This is really in terms of value from a financial point of view and in terms of value from a sporting point of view."
