Potential new F1 teams: the most recent bids to join grand prix grid

While three other bids in 2023 (from Hitech GP, Rodin Carlin, and LKY SUNZ) were rejected, interest from other parties has not completely died down. The FIA president has hinted that filling the final available slot — the 12th team, since under the Concorde Agreement F1 can have up to 12 teams — remains possible, though only if another applicant can show it brings sufficient “value” in sporting, technical, commercial, and developmental terms.

Among the criteria are the ability to fund and sustain operations at a competitive level (including paying a large entry or anti-dilution fee), demonstrable racing and technical experience, transparent ownership, engineering capability and facilities, plus alignment with F1’s goals such as achieving net-zero CO₂ by 2030, contributing positively to society, and bringing new geographic or manufacturer interest.

Under the current Concorde Agreement — which governs the series’ commercial rights and is set for renewal in the near future — the grid can reach up to 12 teams. With Cadillac’s successful admission as the 11th for 2026, there remains one prospective spot open. Whether it will be filled depends on whether another bid can meet those exacting requirements.

Here are the details of all applicants who were hoping to become the first new F1 constructors since Haas joined in 2016 — only one of which has so far succeeded.

Approved bid

Cadillac

Cadillac secured its place on the Formula 1 grid, with the American brand confirmed as the championship’s 11th team from the 2026 season. The move marked the first successful entry of a new constructor since Haas joined in 2016, and follows a drawn-out process that began when the FIA opened applications for new entrants in 2023.

Initially, Andretti Autosport was judged to be the only applicant to meet the FIA’s strict criteria, but Formula 1’s commercial rights holder refused to approve the bid, arguing that it would not add sufficient value to the championship. That setback seemed to end Andretti’s long-held dream, but the project was reshaped when General Motors stepped in directly under its Cadillac brand, with TWG Motorsports now overseeing operations.

Cadillac’s revised application was subsequently approved by both the FIA and F1. The team will debut in 2026 using Ferrari power units, with the intention of developing and supplying its own Cadillac-badged engines by around 2028. The programme has been pitched not only as a racing project but also as a platform to showcase American engineering on the world stage, adding to F1’s growing momentum in the United States.

The entry comes with the hefty $200 million anti-dilution fee designed to protect existing teams’ revenue, and Cadillac will be expected to meet F1’s sustainability targets, including net-zero carbon by 2030. Its arrival leaves just one potential slot open under the current Concorde Agreement, fuelling speculation over whether the grid will expand to the full 12-team limit in the years ahead.

Potential candidates to fill the 12th spot

Otmar Szafnauer’s plans

Otmar Szafnauer, former team principal at Aston Martin and Alpine, said is actively preparing a bid to launch a 12th Formula 1 team. After years leading top-level operations in the series, he believes the time is right for grid expansion now that Cadillac has secured the 11th spot for 2026.

Szafnauer says he has serious financial backing for the effort, and that a car manufacturer is already in place to support the powertrain side. He has been working quietly in the background for over a year, building his proposal in anticipation that the FIA and Formula 1’s commercial rights holder will eventually open a process for selecting another entrant.

Szafnauer has also suggested he would consider acquiring an existing team if the opportunity arose, arguing that buying into an established operation may be more efficient than starting entirely from scratch. Either way, he is positioning himself to be ready if the regulatory and commercial landscape allows the grid to grow.

He projects that if everything comes together – funding, manufacturer support, and approval from the authorities – a realistic debut for his new team would be around 2028 or 2029, potentially aligned with regulatory changes or the renewal of the Concorde Agreement.

Chinese-backed team

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has made it clear that one of his key ambitions is to see a Chinese automaker step up and fill the 12th spot on the Formula 1 grid.

With Cadillac securing entry for 2026 as the 11th team, China is seen as the logical next frontier, both for its huge automotive market and strategic value to F1. China already has a driver in Ferrari reserve Zhou Guanyu, which adds a human connection to the idea of a Chinese manufacturer joining the championship.

Among possible candidates, Geely is frequently cited. The Chinese group has existing stakes in international brands like Volvo, Lotus, and others, and is connected through power-unit development joint ventures that could provide technical credibility.

Ben Sulayem emphasised that any new entrant must meet F1’s high bar – not just be from China for the sake of geography, but offer real substance.

While formal bids have not been confirmed by a Chinese manufacturer yet, the conversations are active – Ben Sulayem has said that talks have taken place, and he believes that if a credible Chinese bid is submitted, it will be favourably considered.

Rejected bids

Hitech

Hitech Grand Prix had what appeared to be a strong bid to become a permanent member of the grid.

As a leading junior team with cars already in Formula 2, Formula 3 and Formula 4, Hitech has plenty of experience of the FIA single-seater ladder, and claims to have the necessary facilities to compete in F1.

“After 20 months of planning and extensive preparation at its Silverstone base, Hitech made its application for entry into the FIA Formula 1 World Championship from the 2026 season,” it said in an official statement earlier this year. “[It’s] a move that would complete its single-seater ladder and demonstrate that Hitech has all the right people, experience and resources to compete alongside the best teams in the world.”

News of the F1 bid came after Kazakh businessman Vladimir Kim took a 25% stake in parent company Hitech Global Holdings Limited.

Rodin Carlin

Rodin Carlin is highly respected in the lower ranks of motor racing, with a hand in kickstarting the careers of Lando Norris, George Russell, Kevin Magnussen and Carlos Sainz through its single-seater teams currently in F4, F3 and F2.

Wanting to be more than just a step on the ladder, Rodin put in a bid to become a fully-fledged F1 team with cars designed and built in New Zealand and piloted by at least one woman driver, with Jamie Chadwick in the picture. Upon hearing it had been unsuccessful, CEO David Dicker released a statement and document that outlined aspects of his bid.

This included a guaranteed female driver, proof of an “extensive manufacturing facility” in New Zealand, as well as prospective collaboration with Ferrari and $500 million worth of resources were among the key features of Rodin Carlin’s application to the top echelon of motor sport.

“We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process,” added Dicker. “And we extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid. Rodin Cars remains committed to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and will continue to pursue excellence in the world of racing.

LKY SUNZ

Built to be a “disruptor” in the motor sport world, LKY SUNZ was a prospective Asia-based and US-funded F1 team, hoping to join the grid in 2026.

Following the series’ recent surge in popularity, co-founder Benjamin Duran — who was previously involved in another F1 entry in 2019 with project Panthera Team Asia — wanted this team to “operate outside the traditional F1 corridors” and give opportunities for unrepresented communities to enter F1.

But following a close study of LKY SUNZ’s application, Duran has been told by the FIA that any chance of an F1 grid slot is off the table.

“We are not the best project in all categories, that’s for sure,” Durand said in a conversation with GPblog, following the news of the teams’ dismissal.  “But I think we are doing a good project. We are bringing something different. We are bringing diversity. We are planning to help the FIA to develop motorsport in countries and communities where they are not present.”

Despite rumours of disbanding the project, the Frenchman also revealed that the team still hoping to obtain the necessary F1 licence from the FIA and has apparently raised over one billion euros in anticipation of paying a higher entry fee.

“[F1] is a very English, European-oriented product right now. It needs to change. We are not positioning ourselves as the enemy. If you look at it, we can help you, and we can make this championship even stronger because we will attract and develop markets that are not developed by F1 teams.”

Formula Equal 

Led by former BAR chief Craig Pollock, Formula Equal looked to bring equality to the forefront of motor sport’s ultimate series — building a team with a 50/50 split between male and female workers.

According to some reports, the team had been in talks with an “unnamed Gulf-area country” which would fund its place on the grid from 2026 onwards if its bid is successful. However, it appears that the bid did not get off the ground, with no indication that it reached the same stage as the other applicants above.

“Our ambition [was] to deliver and build opportunities and pathways for women to get to the very top level inside motor sports,” Pollock told CNN.

“We know that we are going to have to go through our academy systems, we know we’re going to have to build it up because there are not enough women at the moment who are trained up to the level of Formula 1 and they’ve got to earn a place in there at the same time.

“This has to be built from the bottom up in a Gulf state and this is what we are aiming to do. This is a long-term project – this is not short-term.”

Audi: another new name on the grid for 2026

Having reached an agreement with Sauber to become its F1 works team in 2026 through a “strategic partnership”, Audi (as of now) will be the newest name on the grid in 2026, but isn’t part of the new team application process.

The manufacturer has taken a minority stake in the team, known as Alfa Romeo until the end of this season when it is likely to revert to Sauber before being rebranded as Audi in 2026.

While Sauber will continue to manufacture and develop its race car from its own headquarters in Hinwil, Audi will concentrate its efforts on the power unit – focused around increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels.

Although decisions on driver line-ups and other key personnel will likely be made from 2025 onwards, Sauber has appointed former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl as its new CEO, with a view to oversee Audi’s transition into F1 in the coming seasons.

Most recently, Audi has also hired former Red Bull reserve driver and 2016 Le Mans winner Neel Jani as its reserve driver to assist with power unit development, although official testing is not scheduled to start until 2025.