What if the 2026 F1 teams were organized by nationality like the Olympics?

[upsidedowntoast]

Don't look into this too seriously; I just got bored lol.
Basically, what would F1 teams look like if they were specifically associated with a country, and in order to compete with them you either have to have that nationality or have familial descent from that area (depending on citizenship laws for that country)?

• Ferrari: Italy
  • TP: Andrea Stella (Italy)
  • Drivers: no other Italian drivers apart from Kimi Antonelli
    • Kimi Antonelli (Italy)
    • Charles Leclerc (no Monagesque teams, but he's already a current team member, and this was the geographically closest place to put him as all spots for France were taken)
• VCARB: Currently registered to Austria, but was Italy originally
  • TP: Flavio Briatore (not exactly a TP, but he was the only other TP-adjacent role who is Italian, and I had to save Toto for Red Bull)
  • Drivers: No other current Austrian or Italian drivers
    • Oscar Piastri (no Australian teams, but his family was from Italy originally)
    • Isack Hadjar (all French spots were taken, I had no idea where else to put him, was a former team member)
• Red Bull: Austria
  • TP: Toto Wolff (Austria)
  • Drivers: No Austrian drivers currently but...Spain and Austria are connected through their Habsburg history (I am REALLY stretching here)
    • Carlos Sainz (Spain)
    • Fernando Alonso (Spain)
• Mercedes: Germany
  • TP: James Vowles (No German TPs currently, but he was a former team member)
  • Drivers: no other German drivers apart from Nico Hulkenberg
    • Nico Hulkenberg (Germany)
    • Max Verstappen (no Dutch teams, but geographically closest)
• Audi: Germany; title sponsor Revolut is from the UK
  • TP: Jonathan Wheatley (No German TPs currently, but he's the current TP + Revolut is from the UK so close enough)
  • Drivers: no other German drivers apart from Nico Hulkenberg
    • Ollie Bearman (all other UK teams were filled up)
    • Valtteri Bottas (I'm really stretching here, no Finnish teams, but Finland was geographically closest of the remainders)
• Alpine: France
  • TP: Laurent Mekies or Fred Vasseur (France)
  • Drivers:
    • Pierre Gasly (France, current team member)
    • Esteban Ocon (France, former team member)
• Mclaren: UK, founded in New Zealand
  • TP: Alan Permane (UK, this one was kind of random as there are a lot of UK TPs currently)
  • Drivers:
    • Liam Lawson (New Zealand)
    • Lando Norris (UK, already in the team)
• Williams: UK
  • TP: Steve Nielsen (UK)
  • Drivers:
    • George Russell (UK, formerly in the team)
    • Alex Albon (UK, already in the team)
• Aston Martin: UK, formerly Force India
  • TP: Adrian Newey (UK, already in the team)
  • Drivers:
    • Lewis Hamilton (UK)
    • Arvid Lindblad (UK, with partial Indian descent)
• Haas: USA, title sponsor TGR is from Japan
  • TP: Ayao Komatsu (currently in the team; no other American TPs but the title sponsor is Japanese)
  • Drivers: No American (country) drivers currently so I just went with the closest American (continent) drivers
    • Gabriel Bortoleto (Brazil)
    • Franco Colapinto (Argentina)
• Cadillac: USA
  • TP: Zak Brown (not exactly a TP, but he was the only other TP-adjacent role who is American)
  • Drivers: No American (country) drivers currently so I just went with the closest American (continent) drivers
    • Lance Stroll (Canada)
    • Sergio Perez (Mexico, already in the team)

[PlatinumZealot]

There was a racing series like this. V12 formula or something like that. It died after a season or two.

[Just_a_fan]

If VCARB are Italian because they were once Minardi, then Red Bull and Mercedes are both UK teams as they were originally Stewart and Tyrrell (respectively). Aston Martin originally was Jordan so one might argue should be an Irish team using the VCARB logic.

[upsidedowntoast]

If VCARB are Italian because they were once Minardi, then Red Bull and Mercedes are both UK teams as they were originally Stewart and Tyrrell (respectively). Aston Martin originally was Jordan so one might argue should be an Irish team using the VCARB logic.

The reason why I did this was because there's too many British teams, drivers, and TPs already on the grid, whereas there are literally no Austrians but Toto and also "I made it the f up"/"I saw it in a dream".

[pob]

There was a racing series like this. V12 formula or something like that. It died after a season or two.

Yes, A1 GP, and it included a few former F1 drivers like Jos Verstappen, Hulkenburg, Piquet Jr, Buemi, etc.

[SealTheRealDeal]

If VCARB are Italian because they were once Minardi, then Red Bull and Mercedes are both UK teams as they were originally Stewart and Tyrrell (respectively). Aston Martin originally was Jordan so one might argue should be an Irish team using the VCARB logic.

The reason why I did this was because there's too many British teams, drivers, and TPs already on the grid, whereas there are literally no Austrians but Toto and also "I made it the f up"/"I saw it in a dream".

You could make AM Canadian with the GOATed line up of Stroll and Latifi.

[jjn9128]

If VCARB are Italian because they were once Minardi, then Red Bull and Mercedes are both UK teams as they were originally Stewart and Tyrrell (respectively). Aston Martin originally was Jordan so one might argue should be an Irish team using the VCARB logic.

being suuuuuuuper pedantic (i'm in the right place for it) Merc started life as BAR who only bought the entry from Tyrrell, they never actually used the facilities. VCARB at least still use the same Faenza base as Minardi although the aero design is based at the red bull MK campus.

[vorticism]

"What if the 2026 F1 teams were organized by nationality like the Olympics?"

They already are. The IOC is expected to use the most meaningless, procedural, denuded definition of the term nation--nation as a corporation. Philosophically there should be nothing preventing an Apple, an Aramco, an Amazon, an Airbus, a Ford, a Danone, a Walmart, from competing as a nation at the Olympic games. They would meet the IOC's definition of what a nation is--a collection of paperwork that confirms whether a citizen/employee exists or not--and in a more general sense those corporations already have larger populations and valuations than some nations.

[Just_a_fan]

If VCARB are Italian because they were once Minardi, then Red Bull and Mercedes are both UK teams as they were originally Stewart and Tyrrell (respectively). Aston Martin originally was Jordan so one might argue should be an Irish team using the VCARB logic.

being suuuuuuuper pedantic (i'm in the right place for it) Merc started life as BAR who only bought the entry from Tyrrell, they never actually used the facilities. VCARB at least still use the same Faenza base as Minardi although the aero design is based at the red bull MK campus.

I wasn't being pedantic, just correct. Mercedes F1 is the same company that started out as Tyrrell Racing which was incorporated under the Companies Act 1948 on the 9th of January 1964. They were then bought and the name changed variously until we get to the currently-named company under Mercedes. But it's still legally the same company as it was in 1964 when Tyrrell incorporated it. Facilities used at various times are irrelevant.

BRAWN GP LIMITED 06 Mar 2009 - 15 Jan 2010
HONDA GP LIMITED 10 Jan 2006 - 06 Mar 2009
BAR HONDA GP LIMITED 26 Jan 2005 - 10 Jan 2006
BARGP LIMITED 10 Jan 2005 - 26 Jan 2005
BRITISH AMERICAN RACING GP LIMITED 27 Nov 1998 - 10 Jan 2005
BRITISH AMERICAN RACING GRAND PRIX LIMITED 10 Nov 1998 - 27 Nov 1998
TYRRELL RACING ORGANISATION LIMITED 09 Jan 1964 - 10 Nov 1998

Information is on the UK's Companies House website:
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... y/00787446.

There's even Tyrrell's original incorporation paperwork on there should you wish to read it. Go through the list of directors and you'll find Ken and his son listed as directors of the company until 1997.

[De Wet]

"What if the 2026 F1 teams were organized by nationality like the Olympics?"

They already are. The IOC is expected to use the most meaningless, procedural, denuded definition of the term nation--nation as a corporation. Philosophically there should be nothing preventing an Apple, an Aramco, an Amazon, an Airbus, a Ford, a Danone, a Walmart, from competing as a nation at the Olympic games. They would meet the IOC's definition of what a nation is--a collection of paperwork that confirms whether a citizen/employee exists or not--and in a more general sense those corporations already have larger populations and valuations than some nations.

Sadly, the IOC are Idiots just like the FIA.