Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed two new teams will join the grid next season.
One of the additions will be a team led by NASCAR team owner Gene Haas, finally receiving his Formula 1 breakthrough after years of near misses.
“[Haas’s] will be accepted,” the 83-year-old Ecclestone told reporters at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
“We’ve also accepted another team as well. Whether they’ll make it or not is another story. We are happy to have another couple of teams.”
However joining the F1 grid will be an expensive measure for the proposed USF1 team. Ecclestone recently stated that Haas would need to fork over some $1 billion over the first four years to get the operation off the ground.
Formula 1 currently features 11 teams, however a number are said to be struggling financially.
Winners of the previous four world championships, Red Bull Racing reduced its F1 financial commitment ahead of the 2014 season by $28.5 million, down to $108.9 million. Led by Sebastian Vettel and promising Australian Daniel Ricciardo, RBR have secured just one third place podium finish this year.
Haas has reportedly been working on an F1 facility near his NASCAR base in North Carolina as well another in Italy. USF1 attempted to join the grid in 2010, but were unable to get the project off the ground due to a lack of financial backing.
A Eastern European team is believed to be the second bidder, led by Colin Kolles of failed teams HRT, Midland and Spyker.
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton took out last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix while Ricciardo narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
Photos: Getty Images
