At the beginning of the season, Andretti was denied entry into Formula 1 for 2025 or 2026 based on considerations from Liberty Media, which does not see the American team as an added value for the grid, at least not until the GM Power Unit debuts in 2028.
Andretti expressed disappointment with the reasons that led Formula 1 to reject the American team’s request, both in terms of image and technical aspects, continuing their hiring plan to strengthen the team. For example, in recent weeks, the arrival of Pat Symonds was announced, who left his previous role, where he contributed to the drafting of the 2022 and 2026 regulations, to join the Andretti project.
The American team thought they had the credentials to secure a place on the grid by 2026, especially since they had previously passed the first hurdle, receiving FIA approval. The Federation, through its President Mohamed Ben Sulayem, supported the expansion of the grid beyond the ten existing teams, opening the selection process last February to allow interested parties to submit their requests.
After a selection process evaluating financial, technical, and sustainability aspects, only Andretti received the Federation’s approval, moving to the negotiation phase with the FOM, which subsequently rejected their request.
This difference in perspectives on grid expansion, as F1 has always approached new teams cautiously due to potential economic repercussions for existing teams, put Mohamed Ben Sulayem at odds with Liberty Media.
Speaking to Reuters in Monaco, given the difficulties in receiving approval from the FOM, the FIA President changed his position, suggesting that Andretti try to acquire an existing team rather than insist on entering as the eleventh team.
“I have no doubt that the FOM and Liberty would be happy to see more teams, provided they are major manufacturers,” said Mohamed Ben Sulayem, emphasizing that probably the only way to change Formula 1’s mind would be to have full support from a major manufacturer. For this reason, the FOM left the door open to Andretti in 2028, when the GM Power Unit, built in America, is expected to debut.
“I would advise Andretti to buy another existing team, not to try to enter as the eleventh team. I believe some teams need a refresh. What is better? Having 11 teams as a number or 10 strong ones? I still believe we should have more teams, but not just any teams. The right teams. It’s not a matter of number, but of quality.” – he pointed out.
Mohamed Ben Sulayem said he would, in principle, welcome Andretti and his partner General Motors, given the project proposed by the two American companies, suggesting that this collaboration would bring more to the sport than some of the current teams on the grid.
“Without naming names, there are teams that are struggling. They are struggling in terms of performance, but also in managing the team itself. It’s about having the right team, to not miss an opportunity or a chance where someone like GM, with a Power Unit, comes to Formula 1.”
“Imagine the impact. We have three races in America. We have a huge fan base. But we don’t have a proper American team. I am very happy to have Ford [with Red Bull], but imagine having GM and having American drivers,” added the FIA President. Among Andretti’s plans for entering Formula 1 would also be the debut in the feeder series Formula 2 and Formula 3, to give American drivers the opportunity to move to Europe and find a reference point to continue their careers.
This discussion also includes Liberty Media‘s recent proposal to increase the entry fee for new teams, which could rise from the current $200 million to a base of $600 million. This dilution fund would compensate for the lost revenue that existing teams would suffer if an eleventh team entered, as the proceeds would be redistributed into eleven parts instead of ten.
Given such a high figure, this could push Andretti to reconsider not only the idea of joining the championship but also starting from scratch with a completely new project. It is no secret that the American team has considered buying other teams, but given the high costs, they preferred to focus on an independent project. However, with such high figures, the discourse changes: the money spent to buy entry into the series could be invested in acquiring an existing team.
Beyond the objective difficulties in overcoming the negotiation phase with the FOM, this change of position by Andretti could also be perceived as an attempt to calm the waters with F1, given the episodes of recent months that have cooled the relationship between the parties: “Peace is always good, you can’t always have unnecessary problems,” acknowledged Mohamed Ben Sulayem.
“We both understand that we need to move forward, and the only way to do that is to have much more clarity between us. We are with the FOM when it comes to business. We are partners, and we also need to forget the small things and find a solution to address these issues.”
Leave a Reply