Which new teams applied to join F1? Andretti's winning bid and those that failed

Among the FIA’s criteria were that teams had to pay a $200m (£164m) entry fee and also bring “long-term value” to F1. This included evidence of real racing experience, technical expertise, the identity of shareholders and details of facilities and engineering resources. They must also demonstrate how they would bring “positive societal impact” and achieve F1’s net-zero CO2 target by 2030.

Up to two spaces are available, which would bring the F1 grid to the limit of 12 specified under the current Concorde Agreement commercial rights deal. The largest field in the past decade has been 11 teams.

The toughest test may yet be to come, with Andretti now needing to convince F1 to approve its application. Several teams are understood to be lobbying against the bid, given the surge in interest — and profitability of F1. The $200m entry fee is meant to compensate teams for having to share future prize money with an additional entrant but, given a recent share sale by Alpine valued the team at around $900m (£738m), it is now seen as too cheap.

Teams are likely to urge F1 to insist on a higher fee before accepting any new entrant.

Here are the details of all applicants that were hoping to become the first new F1 constructors since the arrival of Haas in 2016.

 

Andretti Cadillac Racing

F1 bid: pending

The Andretti name is already legendary in the world of motor sport. Andretti Global currently fields cars in IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and IMSA with Wayne Taylor Racing, and is now a step closer to Formula 1, having received FIA approval.

The bid has been led by Michael Andretti, son of F1 world champion Mario Andretti and a former grand prix driver in his own right. Michael has been one of the loudest voices among prospective new teams and is “already building” the F1 team that he hopes will join the grid.

In 2021, Andretti’s failed attempt to buy Sauber began a snowball of different partnerships, all in order to strengthen its F1 bid. In 2023, the team announced a collaboration with General Motors and its Cadillac brand, although it would initially use a rebadged Renault power unit.

However, the American team’s bid has now been strengthened by the news that GM will now build its own engines from 2028.

“With our deep engineering and racing expertise, we’re confident we’ll develop a successful power unit for the series, and position Andretti Cadillac as a true works team,” said General Motors president Mark Reuss.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulyamen, a vocal supporter of the Andretti effort, said: “The presence of iconic American brands Andretti and GM is good for the sport.”

“We’ve done everything that was asked of us and, so far, we’ve delivered,” said Mario Andretti in the March issue of Motor Sport. “We are honest in our approach and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to reach our goal, that’s what drives us. It’s what we love, and that’s not gonna change.”

In September of 2023, Andretti also rebranded its entire operation across all motor racing series, now racing under the banner of Andretti Global from 2024 onwards. Its bid was put forward under the name Andretti Formula Racing.

 

Hitech

F1 bid: rejected

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

F1 bid: rejected

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

F1 bid: rejected

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 

F1 bid: unsuccessful

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 earlier this year. “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.”

 

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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.

 

New engine suppliers

Alongside new teams, there have also been two new power unit suppliers confirmed for 2026: Audi and Ford. Honda has confirmed that it will continue in F1 by supplying Aston Martin, despite announcing its withdrawal from the series in 2020.

As previously mentioned, Audi will focus on producing the power unit for its 2026 team, while Ford has teamed up with Red Bull.

The American firm is returning to F1, having produced engines and power units for almost three quarters of the world championship’s existence, driving the likes of Jim Clark, James Hunt and Mario Andretti to title success.

It left the series after a disastrous stint with Jaguar in the early 2000s, but will be back in a technical partnership with Red Bull Powertrains in 2026.

“As an independent engine manufacturer, to have the ability to benefit from an automotive manufacturer’s experience like Ford puts us in good stead against the competition,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.