FIA president Jean Todt says prospective teams have recently expressed an interest in joining the Formula One grid in the near future.
F1 currently has just 10 teams on the grid following the demise of Manor at the start of the year. Last season American outfit Haas joined the sport, becoming the first to do so since F1 welcomed three new entries in 2010.
Todt is keen to see the grid expand to 12 teams in the near future and says a spot will be made available when there is a strong and viable candidate.
"When we feel it is time, we will be able to make a tender," Todt said at the FIA Sport Conference in Geneva. "At the moment we have ten teams and the idea is to have up to 12 teams.
"So we have an opportunity, if we have one or two strong newcomers it could be possible. There are always rumours, but we have had some interest from some teams."
Todt then went on to confirm that interest had been expressed "recently". The Frenchman, who is seeking re-election for a third term as FIA president, believes it is natural any new team goes through the 'tender' process which allowed Haas to enter in 2016 to make sure it can compete in the sport.
"First we need to check ourselves the request. It's going through a kind of audit to see who are the potential buyers. If it's a big manufacturer, it's easy, if it's a privateer, you need to be more careful.
"And then, once you are sure that there is a real interest, and once you're sure that people are able, like it was the case with Haas, for example, then we make tender."
Todt then brushed off the suggestion any new team could be in place in time for the 2018 campaign, saying: "It would be foolish to think that a new team would be ready in eight months".