FIA may open up new F1 teams tender soon

The sport will feature 10 teams this year thanks to a last-minute rescue deal for the Marussia team, which missed the final three races of the 2014 season amid huge debts.

Marussia, now aiming to race under the Manor Marussia name, will initially compete with an upgraded version of last year's cars powered by 2014 Ferrari engines.

Formula One lost Caterham at the end of last year, and Spanish squad HRT after the 2012 season.

The FIA last opened up the tender for new teams at the end of 2013, and granted an entry to American team Haas and to Romanian squad Forza Rossa, which are scheduled to join the grid in 2016.

Todt said the FIA is continuing to push for cost reduction to help teams, and admitted the tender process could be kicked off again as early as next year to encourage new operations to join F1.

"I am not happy for Marussia and Caterham and I sympathize for them, but it has always happened," Todt told the New York Times in an interview.

"But in 2016 we have a new team coming. And we may make a tender again for one or two teams to encourage teams.

"And try to reduce the costs. That is one of the things that is being addressed to find a solution."

Some of the sport's figures have been critical of the FIA decision to change the engine formula and introduce V6 power units for the start of 2014, saying it had increased costs dramatically.

Todt, however, insists the move was perfectly sensible.

"I feel it is one of the few sensible decisions which has been taken over the last period," he added. "Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport, so we must be an example to society.

"It is not all happening in a kind of closed golden-gated community where nothing is happening on the other side of the world."