2023 started off in dramatic fashion with Ben Sulayem posting a tweet stating that he would look to expan🌠d the F💯1 grid.

The move was met with a raft of criticism, particularly from F1 and the teams, who insisted there’s no need for an 11th team to potentially “d🍷il⛄ute” the sport.

Whi🐼le the general ཧstance from F1 has remained the same, the FIA still accepted Andretti’s bid to become the 11th team in 2025 or 2026.

How൲ever, they are still waiting on getting the green light from Liberty Media and the team from a commercial perspective.

• FIA aᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚpprove Andretti's team entry - but F1 still need to agree

♛Speaking to the in Austin, Ben Sulayem claimed he was “attacked” and “abused” - but didn’t mention who was responsible.

“I went through hell,” he said. “I’m asking myself, ‘What🦹 did I do 🌳to deserve all of this attack in February and March? They attacked me, the day I opened the expression of interest.

“Even when my son died, they attacked me, a🔯bused me, just to break me, just because I opened for the whole♓ world to enter. It was unnecessary, counterproductive, not good for business.

“Th💫ey can say whatever they want. At the end of the day, I was elected to take care of the sport. 

"Not𒉰hing goes into my pocket. We don’t have shareholders, we don’t have a board of directors to share the money, so my mission is different than theirs. That’s very ♓clear.”

The 61-year-old still is unsure why he was 🥀criticised for opening the doors for an Andretti entry.

“I ꦉdon’🔥t know, I really don’t know. Just because I opened an expression of interest," he added.

“We have a contract [the Concorde Agreemen🐬t] for ဣ12 [teams]. To have 12 and say ‘No, you are not allowed’… I am here for motorsport, the spirit of the sport.

“They look at the money🐼 as a piece of cake and they wilꦑl share it.”