Analysis: room for expansion in F1

The governing body will announce the successful candidates on Friday, with former BAR and Benetton boss David Richards's Prodrive expected to get the nod as the newcomer with the existing 11 teams.

Yet the fact that so many new and apparently serious contenders have emerged begs several questions - such as why not let more in?

It is an argument that FIA president Max Mosley says he is sympathetic to, providing safety is not compromised.

"The problem is that we limited it to 12 for reasons of safety and so there would have to be changes to the pits, changes to the garages, changes to some of the circuits to have more than 12," he told Reuters.

"But if all the organisers and promoters want to make the investment, there's no fundamental reason why it shouldn't be done," he added. "As it's safety, we would have to make sure every point was covered."

One Mosley idea, although not one likely to appeal in the slightest to those teams already on the starting grid, would be to institute an annual soccer-style promotion and relegation system.

"I would like to see that. I would like to see the possibility of the last two dropping out and two new teams coming in, at least the possibility of that. But again, that needs thought and discussion," he said.

"The ideal, I reckon, is what we had some years ago which is 30 people went out to qualify and 26 got to start. Or 30 qualify and 24 start.

"I certainly couldn't say never but it would take quite a bit of adjustment to what we've got at the moment," added Mosley. "I can't see it for 2008."

Wind the Formula One clock back 15 years, to 1991 when Irish entrepreneur Eddie Jordan's eponymous team made their Grand Prix debut, and you find 26 starters at the season-opening U.S. race in Phoenix.

There were also a further four cars that did not qualify and another four that failed pre-qualifying - a total of 34 cars and 18 teams fighting for space on the grid.

Ian Phillips, the former Jordan commercial director now with successors Midland, said he would resist any attempt to go back to those days.

"I would never, ever want to be in a position of having to do pre-qualifying ever again. It was the nastiest experience I've ever been through," he told Reuters.

"Having to get up so early and go off and do that thing at eight o'clock in the morning, sometimes there was frost on the circuit, it was dark and you couldn't invite any guests because you didn't get your guest passes until you'd got through pre-qualifying.

"You'd have all these sponsors waiting for a 'phone call at nine o'clock to say that yes, they could come. The whole thing was a nightmare for everybody involved...the pain of doing it was excruciating."

That was despite newcomers Jordan being the lucky ones, successfully qualifying 15 cars in 16 attempts and escaping the bottom bracket after six months.

Others, such as Fondmetal, Coloni, Modena or ill-fated Andrea Moda, had far more of a struggle.

Daniel Audetto, a Ferrari team manager in the 1970s and now with F1 newcomers Super Aguri, thought it unlikely that the sport would go back down that particular route and embrace more than 12 teams - the most since 1997.

"First, for safety reasons and because of space in the paddock," he said. "And secondly I don't see now a team making such a big investment, even with the 2008 rules, and then risking never qualifying.

"And then you have Monte Carlo, where to start with 24 cars is already a big number. In my opinion, 12 teams is really a good number."

The current 11 teams all seem sure to be confirmed for 2008, but others have not given up hope of swelling the ranks - possibly even next year despite the fact that the $48-million entry bond demanded of all new teams will remain in place until the end of 2007.

"We have a factory and we still want to use it next year," Autosport magazine quoted former racer Jean Alesi as saying of his efforts to lead a McLaren-backed Direxiv team.

Should that happen, with 12 teams in 2007 and another already accepted for 2008, the Formula One grid could be expanded beyond 24 cars - providing all the teams agree.