Former F1 boss Szafnauer eyes team ownership in F1 or IndyCar

Otmar Szafnauer is actively pursuing a return to team ownership, with his consortium exploring avenues to either establish a new 12th team in Formula 1 or acquire an existing operation in IndyCar. While the American series initially seems more accessible, the complex and costly charter system presents a significant barrier to entry, making the path to ownership in either premier series equally challenging.

Why it matters:

Szafnauer's ambitions highlight the intense competition and high financial stakes involved in entering top-tier motorsport. A successful move by the experienced former Alpine and Aston Martin principal could inject new competition into either series, but it also underscores the structural and economic hurdles that prevent new entities from easily joining the grid, whether in F1 or IndyCar.

The details:

Szafnauer, a managing partner at Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR), is part of a consortium with Rafael Villagómez Sr. that has publicly stated its desire to create a new F1 team.

• With no clear entry point into F1 available, the group has shifted some focus to IndyCar as an alternative.
• Entering IndyCar requires navigating its charter system, a fixed entry license that guarantees race participation and a share of series revenue.
  • Racing without a charter, as the Prema team has done, carries major financial risk and instability, evidenced by Prema's current struggles and inability to secure a 2026 entry.
  • From 2028, a charter will be mandatory to compete, coinciding with a major series rules overhaul, making a new team investment now particularly risky.
• This makes purchasing an existing charter-holding team the more viable path. While no teams are officially for sale, potential opportunities may exist at Dale Coyne Racing (with its aging owner) or Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR), which has historically entertained offers for part or all of its operation.

What's next:

Szafnauer's consortium must now decide whether to pursue the monumental task of creating an F1 entry from scratch or to table a compelling offer for an IndyCar team with a valuable charter. The clock is ticking, especially with IndyCar's 2028 regulations looming, which would necessitate a heavy reinvestment shortly after any new team's establishment. His next move will be a clear indicator of which series he views as the more realistic long-term business venture.