FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem has admitted that he could be forced to add another Formula 1 team if the season expands beyond its current 24 games.
Formula One Management have the ability to unilaterally expand the calendar to 25 races under their current agreement, but Ben Sulayem backed the sport to continue at 24 races for the foreseeable future.
He has now told motorsport.com that the addition of just one more race to the current calendar would force him to add a second FIA team in order to deal with the sheer workload.
A 25th race, he insisted, would be 'crossing a barrier' logistically for the organisational body, and also questioned whether the hypothetical move would be putting too much strain on drivers and teams on the grid.
Franco Colapinto's emergence has coincided with talk of an Argentine GPThe Las Vegas GP was added to the calendar last year
What did Ben Sulayem say about an 'extra team'?
The 62-year-old explained: “You cross a barrier where you need two teams, we can’t have [more]. Logistically, then I have to have two teams.
“Can the drivers take it? I just want to know. Let's just be sensible and logical about it. Can the drivers take it physically and mentally? This is a question I will ask the drivers. And what about the teams?”
“As for the FIA, we cannot do it with this one team. We have to have a rotation of two teams, when it comes to the staff on the ground.”
He also pointed out that Formula One Management don't currently appear to be trying to expand the calendar further, but admitted he has little control over that decision.
“They never came back and said: ‘Oh, we need more.’ No way they did. What they are after is quality and that's why we have this good relationship with them. I mean, I will not stop [them] to go to 25, because it is their right, OK? [In the end] it's up to them."
GP USA
3 - 5 May
GP ITALY
17 - 19 May
GP MONACO
24 - 26 May
GP CANADA
7 - 9 Jun
GP SPAIN
21 - 23 Jun
GP AUSTRIA
28 - 30 Jun
GP GREAT BRITAIN
5 - 7 Jul
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19 - 21 Jul
GP BELGIUM
26 - 28 Jul
GP NETHERLANDS
23 - 25 Aug
GP AZERBAIJAN
13 - 15 Sep
GP SINGAPORE
20 - 22 Sep
GP MEXICO
25 - 27 Oct
GP BRAZIL
1 - 3 Nov
GP QATAR
29 Nov - 1 Dec
GP ABU DHABI
6 - 8 Dec
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