May 7 (GMM) New teams will be evaluated carefully before being shown to the 2010 formula one grid, Bernie Ecclestone insists.
Since the voluntary 40m pounds sterling budget cap became concrete FIA regulations, and the number of team entries was increased to 13, there has been a flurry of interest in joining the sport.Currently, there are potentially three vacancies on the 2010 grid, but existing teams unhappy with the budget cap proposals could leave and create more space.David Richards, Lola and USF1 are at the top of the speculation about 2010, but teams in lower categories - like Irish A1GP boss Mark Gallagher - are also talking up their hopes."I have ambitions in F1, our driver Adam Carroll should be in F1 but you need to approach this carefully. If you are looking to be racing in 2010 you need to know very, very soon what is required," said Gallagher, who was involved with the Jordan team in the past.Ecclestone told the UK newspaper Express that he welcomes the interest but added: "It won't be on a first-come, first-served basis. We are not going back to the days when anyone could just arrive, run a few races and then disappear when they ran out of money."We only need three teams to come in. Some of the big players are not happy -- but no one has said they are leaving," the F1 chief executive insisted.David Richards, floating the possibility of a team with Middle Eastern branding, said he is hopeful the FIA would look favourably upon his application."The FIA would make a judgement on the most appropriate entries to accept," he confirmed."I hope that our credentials stand us in good stead. We have been there before and done it before in most forms of motor sport."
