F1: FIA seeks new team for 2016

The FIA has launched a new selection process that could bring a new Formula 1 team onto the grid as early as 2016.

Candidates must approach the FIA by June 30, after which they will be sent more detailed selection criteria, with full applications due by Sept. 1 ahead of a final decision on Sept. 30.

A statement from the FIA said a decision would be made based on "the overall long-term interests of the championship", and it will not select an additional team if there is no viable candidate. The FIA said it would assess:

• The technical ability and resources of the team

• The ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the championship at a competitive level

• The team's experience and human resources

• The value the candidate may bring to the championship as a whole

Charlotte-based Haas F1 will become the 11th team when it joins next year, while an additional entrant would return the grid to 12 squads for the first time since the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Before NASCAR team boss Gene Haas' entry was confirmed last year, F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone had suggested two new teams could join the grid. Since Sochi last year the largest grid has been 20 cars, as the Caterham team folded over the winter while Marussia has undergone a revival as the Manor team.

Originally on Autosport.com