Formula 1 is experiencing one of the most prosperous periods in its history: rising revenues, competitive sponsors, and stronger teams than ever. Yet, according to former Williams team manager Claire Williams, this wealth hasn’t led to openness. Today, the sport has the space and resources to welcome many more teams, but internal paddock politics continue to block newcomers. Williams criticizes a conservative mindset that keeps F1 closed and protected, more out of fear of sharing than actual structural limitations.
“There’s enough for everyone”
Claire Williams believes the current economic strength of Formula 1 would make it sustainable not only to add an eleventh team but even more. She recalls how, in the past, a new team entering the sport was seen as a direct threat to existing teams’ budgets.
“I remember sitting at the Strategy Group table, and when another team wanted to join, it was like saying: well, the prize fund is pretty limited at the moment. I don’t recall the exact numbers, but with this new team, we might lose 10 or 15 million each, and that didn’t seem particularly fair.”
Today, the scenario would be radically different. Williams argues:
“There is enough money in the Formula 1 prize fund to accommodate an eleventh team. Probably there’s enough for 15 teams in this sport, but all the team principals will refuse because they don’t want to share.”
The political hurdle: teams don’t want to give ground
Despite the FIA opening the door to new entries — as seen with Cadillac/Andretti — Williams doubts that Formula One Management and existing teams are truly willing to expand the grid.
“They don’t want to share, and understandably so: they’ve invested what they invested. A new team shouldn’t automatically get the same prize money as existing teams. It should be a stepped system. But Formula 1 won’t do that — other team principals and the sport won’t allow that many teams.”
The former manager also highlights how difficult it was to approve an eleventh team:
“Getting the eleventh team in would have required enormous negotiations and discussions. It’s not straightforward. I don’t think Formula 1 is smart enough to protect itself from overdoing it, so to speak.”
A paradox of modern F1
For Claire Williams, modern Formula 1 is a flourishing ecosystem capable of supporting far more teams than in the past. Yet internal paddock politics — guarding investments, resisting change, and fears of losing financial leverage — continue to limit expansion. The result is a paradox: the sport is wealthier than ever, yet still reluctant to truly open its doors to those who want to enter.
Claire Williams’ insights provide a rare glimpse into the crucial boardroom battles that define the sport away from the track. Her perspective suggests that until the financial distribution model is fundamentally restructured to protect long-term investors while welcoming new innovators, the F1 grid may remain artificially small despite its record-breaking wealth. It is a situation that leaves potential heavyweights waiting in the wings, while the sport’s current leaders hold tight to their piece of the ever-growing pie.