Frederic Vasseur, the Team Principal of Ferrari, has cautioned against “complacency” in permitting Andretti Cadillac Racing to enter the sport. The American team has successfully navigated the initial two stages of the FIA’s entry process, while four other competing proposals were denied further progress after rigorous evaluation by the governing body.
However, Andretti must now conclude commercial negotiations with Formula One Management (FOM) to solidify its position as the 11th team in the sport.
The existing teams have consistently expressed their opposition throughout the process due to the potential impact of an additional team on the financial rewards distributed each season. This concern arises from the fact that the prize pool would be divided among 11 teams instead of the current 10, despite the presence of an anti-dilution fee mandated in the Concorde Agreement.
Initially, the Andretti bid was an independent endeavor. Still, following calls for added value, such as possible support from a manufacturer, the Indianapolis-based team established a partnership with General Motors and its Cadillac brand. This partnership could eventually lead to the supply of a power unit.
Offering his initial remarks following the FIA’s announcement of Andretti’s successful progression through the initial two phases of the application process, the French manager shared his perspective with the media, ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix weekend: “It’s not a secret that I am not a big fan. When we opened the door for an 11th team in the Concorde Agreement last time, it was for good reason. At that stage, Honda had said it would leave F1 and was on the edge, it meant we had only Mercedes and Ferrari confirmed for the future.” – Fred Vasseur pointed out.
“We opened the door to an 11th team in the case it could bring something substantial to Formula 1 – this stage this was mainly the engine. All the teams on the grid have made a big effort. We have to keep in mind that three or four years ago we had almost half the grid close to bankruptcy and we have to avoid arrogance that life is a cycle and we don’t know what could happen before 2030. I think we would put F1 in a tough situation with this, except, as I said, if the new entry is bring massive value to F1.” – the Ferrari boss continued.
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“I don’t have access to Andretti’s dossier but I think that is the first question: ‘What is the added value for F1?’ We already have a team which is American with Haas, we have an American driver on the grid… the question for me is around this, what could be the added value?” – the Ferrari team principal concluded.
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