Domenicali: No more room for 12th Formula 1 team

Domenicali touched on the matter as Cadillac are ramping up their activities to join the F1 grid in 2026 with their own works team that will be powered by Ferrari until the 2028 season, with 2029 being the year when Cadillac bring in their own power units.

The regulations allow for 12 teams, but Domenicali claims there is no physical space, and while he tried to keep his reasoning far from politics and the teams' refusal to to share the money with a 12th entrant, he brought up the importance of protecting the sport's value in a time when McLaren's takeover deal by Bahrain and Abu Dhabi funds valued the team at over $4-Billion.

He explained: "We have to be cautious. We’ll only evaluate a bid of great significance because I think we’re already at a point with no more room—logistically we’re at the limit.

"I see great interest from funds and investors looking to buy current franchises—let’s call them that—because a team’s value is growing exponentially, and therefore financial interest in investing in F1 is also increasing.

"We see it firsthand because we receive many inquiries, and the same happens to the teams. But precisely because things are going well, we must be prudent and protect the value of what we’ve built," he insisted.

Having Cadillac on the grid was not a straightforward process that started with Michael Andretti submitting a bid and getting the green light from the FIA but was denied by Formula One Management (FOM).

Andretti had GM on board when he realized he needed to make his bid more credible, but it wasn't until he stepped aside that FOM gave him the go-ahead and teams reduced their refusal to share the cake with a new entrant.

Domenicali reflected: "We’ve always said it was fundamental for us [Liberty Media] to have a quality project on the table to evaluate in the medium and long term.

“When we received the Andretti project, our view was negative—not because Andretti wasn’t good. Mario is a legend, an icon of this sport, and a friend. We simply didn’t see the substance behind the project that we consider necessary.

"Things changed when General Motors came in," he then added. "We saw significant investment with a 10-year plan and immediately spoke favorably because we believe in this case the project can bring added value to the system.

"We’re already seeing it now—they’re investing in the US market to promote their new initiative, so that guarantees a benefit," Domenicali concluded.