Lewis Hamilton welcomes ‘exciting’ expansion for Formula One.

Lewis Hamilton has expressed his full support for the potential entry of Michael Andretti’s team into Formula One. The seven-time world champion driver believes it would benefit the sport in many ways but acknowledged his opinion may cause disquiet among many in the F1 paddock.

F1 has not welcomed 11 teams to the grid since 2016 but earlier this week the FIA approved Andretti’s bid to join F1. The process now turns to Formula 1 management and existing teams, who can veto participation. FOM and some teams have expressed opposition to the grid extension, citing commercial concerns and whether an additional team would add any value to the sport.

for more work, there are two extra seats for a potential female driver. It opens up more possibilities and I think it will be very interesting for racing,” he said.

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and a number of team bosses have made it clear that they believe the 10-team grid is currently the optimal size. From a financial perspective, there are concerns that any additional participation could have a negative impact on team revenue without necessarily improving the sport’s ability to generate revenue. Hamilton admitted his views may conflict with those of the team owner.

“I always thought there weren’t enough cars on the grid,” he said. “So while there will definitely be people who aren’t happy that I’ve supported them so much, it’s been great,”

Andretti’s team has enjoyed success in other series, including four IndyCar championships, six Indy 500 wins and the 2023 Formula E drivers’ title. Hamilton’s position is bolstered by world class Max Verstappen , who could win his third title in Saturday’s sprint race. on the Lusail circuit. Everything I have seen so far – plus I think the partners and their names – have shown they are a professional team,” he said. “So that’s great because it gives more opportunities on the driver’s side.”

Verstappen only needs 3 more points to win the championship. A sixth-place finish or better on Saturday would be enough to achieve that and if he does, he will be the first rider to win the title in the relatively new sprint racing format.