by Formula One rejected the offer from the US-based Andretti team to join the sport before 2026. It issued a strong dismissal of the offer but left the option for another application in 2028.
The team, run by former F1 driver Michael Andretti with his father, 1978 F1 world champion Mario, had been approved by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, but were rejected by the commercial rights holder, on the grounds that it believed he. the team would not be competitive and would not add value to the league.
The decision was expected but will remain controversial, with widespread public support for Andretti’s entry as an 11th F1 team. Their bid was made in conjunction with Cadillac, the manufacturer owned by General Motors.
In a lengthy statement released on Wednesday, F1 set out the reasoning behind the rejection but also said it would consider another application for 2028, when heavyweight General Motors could be stepping in as a power unit supplier. .
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In October last year, after a long and exhaustive assessment, the FIA approved Andretti’s entry. However, getting F1 approval was always difficult.
There was opposition from the 10 existing teams, who were concerned that the 11th would dilute the sport’s income without significantly improving income. F1’s owners, Formula One Management, made it clear that their concern was that the new entrant would not add value to the sport and would prove uncompetitive, damaging F1’s reputation.
They carried out their own in-depth commercial assessment and concluded that the potential risks of taking on a new entrant were not significantly offset by any added value the team would bring.
Their conclusions included research suggesting that Andretti, rather than F1, was the main beneficiary of their inclusion; he cited the costs that promoters would have to adapt to host the 11th team; a lack of sign of any financial improvement in the value of the commercial side of the sport and the difficulties facing a new team entering using a customer power unit during a period that included a major regulation change in 2026.
An unequivocal F1 conclusion will be a huge blow to the Andretti operation which has already invested in a team and has been working on a 60% potential car in a wind tunnel.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, in itself, add value to the Championship,” read the F1 statement. “The most significant way a new entrant would add value is to be competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.”
Andretti has not yet responded to the decision and could initiate legal action, especially given the unprecedented situation with the offer being approved by the FIA but rejected by F1.
When the FIA invited new bids for a place in the sport it is understood that it did so without consulting F1. It was a move that further soured relations between the two bodies which is unlikely to abate since FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem initiated the process and publicly favored granting a place to the 11th team .
Fans, especially in the United States, felt the entry of the Andretti team as a credible and realistic entry and there are many objections to F1 teams being against accepting a new competition.
The Andretti team has enjoyed success in other series including four IndyCar championships, six wins at the Indy 500 and the 2023 drivers’ title in Formula E. In October last year Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were firmly backed with their request.
“It’s an opportunity for more jobs, two more seats available for a potential female driver,” Hamilton said. “It opens up more possibilities and I think it will be exciting for racing,” Hamilton said.
The association with Cadillac and General Motors was considered a major selling point as well as the respect of the Andretti name throughout motor racing. However, it is significant that F1 was not confident that it would have a positive impact on the sport.
“While the Andretti name has some recognition for F1 fans, our research shows that F1 would value the Andretti brand rather than the other way around,” the statement read.
