Christian Horner feels adding an 11th team to the Formula 1 grid, which dilutes the prize fund pot, would be ‘like turkey’s voting for Christmas.’
With the deadline for applications to potentially take up an 11th spot on the grid for 2025, a number of hopefuls ranging from Andretti Global to Lky Sunz hope to make their case for a spot at the F1 table.
Yet ahead of the May 15th deadline for applicants, most teams and CEO of F1 Stefano Domenicali have expressed their concerns about an 11th team and whether they could bring anything to the table.
“The issues remain the same as 12 months ago, both fiscally what are the incentives for an existing team to accept an 11th team, and ultimately, at the end of the day, who pays?” Horner told media at the Miami GP.
“If it dilutes the income of the ten, it’s like turkey’s voting for Christmas why would they do that, are Liberty willing to pay and fund an 11th team, are the FIA willing to reduce their fees to help accommodate it?
“I think that in itself, operationally, where do we put the motorhomes, where do we put the support, where do the trucks go? I just think it would be an incredibly different thing to accommodate.”
Paranoia must not set in at Red Bull between Verstappen and Perez
Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing maintain an unbeaten record in 2023, with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez taking two wins apiece and currently lie 1-2 in the drivers’ championship.
Horner, who previously managed Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, played down possible rumours of Red Bull favouring one driver over the other.
“It’s a luxury problem, first of all,” said Horner. “I think any team principal in the pitlane would hope to have that issue, it’s something we’ve experienced before.
“I think the most key thing, as Toto mentioned, is to ensure that paranoia doesn’t creep in [and] that both drivers are treated quickly.
“You go to pains to provide equality to the point of which drivers [goes] out of the garage first each weekend, alternates and even in the debrief who talks first.
“I think so long the drivers know they’re getting an equal chan,ce and it’s ultimately down to them on the circuit that’s how you want it to play out, not through reliability.”
