LONDON : Formula One rejected on Wednesday a bid by U.S.-based Andretti to enter in 2025 or 2026, saying it doubted a proposed 11th team would be competitive or add value, but kept a door open for 2028 when General Motors could provide an engine.
The governing FIA last year approved the application, sending it on to Liberty Media-owned Formula One Management (FOM) for discussions, and the outcome left the regulator once again at odds with the commercial rights holder.
Existing teams had opposed expansion, arguing it would reduce their value after spending billions on the sport and also dilute the share of the revenues while giving an entry to Andretti on the cheap.
FOM concluded in a detailed statement setting out their reasoning that the application “should not be successful”.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship,” it explained.
“The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.”
Formula One said it would look differently on an application for 2028 “either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house”.
“In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the applicant would bring to the championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM (car maker) to the sport as a PU supplier.”
The sport said a 2025 entry would have involved “a novice entrant building two completely different cars in its first two years of existence”.
“The fact that the applicant proposes to do so gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope of the challenge involved,” Formula One added
The engine rules are changing significantly in 2026 and an Andretti entry would have relied on one of the existing manufacturers having to supply them until at least 2028.
General Motors has formally registered with the FIA to provide power units for the proposed U.S.-based team but only from 2028.
Formula One said the initial ‘dependency’ on a compulsory supply led it to believe the proposed team, who have already recruited staff and built a wind-tunnel model, would not be competitive.
NO MEETING
The statement said Formula One had written to Andretti last month with an invitation to a face-to-face meeting in London but the offer had not been taken up.
Michael Andretti is the son of 1978 world champion and F1 great Mario but Formula One felt the Americans had more to gain from an entry than the sport itself.
“While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around,” it said.
It also argued that an 11th team would place an operational burden on race promoters and subject some of them to significant costs.
There was no immediate reaction from Andretti but some insiders were dismayed at the rejection of a big name in U.S. motorsport at a time when the sport is drawing new fans and expanding in the country.
“As a Formula One fan, as a commentator, I would love there to be an 11th and indeed a 12th team on the grid,” said former racer Martin Brundle, while also recognising the 10 teams’ position.
“F1 have clearly said today you’re not bringing enough to let us warrant an extra team on the grid.”
(This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 16)
#Andretti #door #open
