F1 could welcome a 12th team, claims FIA’s Mohammed Ben Sulayem

Formula 1 could expand with a 12th team, the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem claimed.

Cadillac, backed by General Motors, will become the 11th team from 2026 after a long-running saga.

But their anticipated entry might not be the end of F1’s expansion.

Ben Sulayem was asked by Reuters about a 12th team and replied: "Why not?

"It's about doing the right thing. So why do we have an option of 12 if we are going to say no, no, no?

"With me it is very clear it is a win for everyone with the 11th team."

Cadillac to enter F1 in 2026

Michael Andretti’s project to get Andretti Global onto the F1 grid fell flat, when the existing teams pushed back. That is despite the FIA’s welcome.

Andretti stepped back from his senior role and the door remained ajar to General Motors.

A Cadillac-fronted project has now been accepted by the 10 current teams, although some bosses at the Qatar Grand Prix stressed the need for fairness when it comes to diluting the prize pot.

General Motors leap over hurdles

Ben Sulayem explained to Reuters how General Motors “ticked the boxes” to gain entry.

"[FIA CEO Stefano Domenicali] said 'we need an OEM, not just an extra team’.

“So they disappeared for a few months and they came back with an OEM."

General Motors then came up with a solution to a power unit issue.

They plan to become a full works team by the end of this decade.