Components 1 drivers welcomed the information an eleventh staff is ready to hitch the grid in 2026.
Cadillac and Components One Administration have reached an settlement in precept for the staff to hitch the world championship. FOM has dropped its long-standing objection to increasing the grid, a view shared by most staff bosses.
F1 final had a 22-car grid in 2016, earlier than drivers equivalent to Pierre Gasly made their debuts. “It’s thrilling,” mentioned the Alpine driver.
“It’s going to be my first time to race with 22 vehicles in F1. Extra rivals, in all probability extra motion, extra racing. So [it’s] thrilling occasions.”
Charles Leclerc made his debut in an F1 follow session with Haas once they joined the grid because the eleventh staff in 2016. He says the bigger grid will profit F1 by providing extra possibilities for upcoming drivers to discover a seat.
“It’s the primary time in my profession that I’ll be 22 on the grid in F1, and that’s thrilling,” he mentioned. “I additionally suppose that there are many younger drivers ready for a spot in Components 1, in an effort to get there, and that can clearly give extra alternatives to very gifted younger drivers which can be dreaming to get into Components 1.”
Sauber staff mates Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, who will lose their F1 seats on the finish of the yr, are already eyeing the 2 Cadillac seats as potential locations.
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“I’m undoubtedly welcoming a brand new staff into Components 1,” mentioned Bottas. “It’s a terrific model, I believe it’s going to be nice for F1. And it additionally means there’s two extra seats for ’26, which is sweet.”
Cadillac is taking on the entry which was launched by Andretti initially of final yr. They’ve already employed a number of notable names for his or her technical division together with Pat Symonds, Rob White and Nick Chester, all of which beforehand labored for the staff now generally known as Alpine.
“They’ve a few people who they had been within the Renault [now Alpine] days,” mentioned Fernando Alonso, “and for certain they may have an enormous contribution proper now on the very early a part of the mission, with plenty of expertise in Components 1 and within the sport.
“So I want the perfect of luck. A brand new staff isn’t a simple activity, however I believe they are going to be effectively ready and so they have the proper folks.”
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