What F1 should do in light of the FIA’s endorsement of Andretti.
Andretti and Cadillac finally have FIA approval for their intended Formula 1 team after months of waiting.
The biggest barrier to that has always been F1’s hesitation, and F1 now has control over the application, so that hasn’t actually made it any closer to joining the grid.
The opinions of our writers on the FIA’s ruling and the contentious possibility of F1 continuing to say no are as follows.
The dance’s subsequent section is about to begin. And we are all aware of how it will turn out.
The FIA has contributed in its own small way.
Now, F1 will go through a presumably drawn-out process before reaching the decision that it – and, indirectly, the 10 teams already on the inside – wanted all along.
Andretti will undoubtedly be turned down.
What value would Andretti bring to F1 as an 11th team?
is one of the many arguments surrounding this debate that irritates me.
For many people in the pitlane, that is a risky question to be posing. If we really want to look into it, you could ask a number of the teams that are already on the grid – probably four or five of them – and their responses wouldn’t be very convincing.
It would be a bad look for Formula 1 to ignore Andretti at this time.
Additionally, it is insufficient to reject Andretti if those teams that contribute little of value to F1 on their own are given a pass simply because they are already present.
It all comes down to greed, which has always been the driving force behind doubts about Andretti.
No one wants to take an eleventh piece of the pie.
But more teams are permitted by F1’s rules.
Out of four applicants, one was approved after a thorough process by the governing body, demonstrating a high entry barrier.
We should therefore increase the number of vehicles on the grid if there is someone reliable out there.
The majority of fans want F1 to be much more fan-focused in this era.
We’re about to discover, I believe, that being fan-focused only makes sense when those who preach it can benefit from it.
Now that the FIA has handed over all the information regarding the Andretti bid to F1 for “commercial discussions,” more people will finally learn just what the proposed entry would entail.
And I hope that some of that information, regarding both Andretti and the unsuccessful bids, starts to become public.
Given that the Andretti application is the only one that has received FIA approval for the final stage of the process, everyone deserves to know what exactly about it has impressed the FIA.
I doubt the people behind the LKY SUNZ, Hitech, or Rodin Cars applications will just accept the FIA’s assertion that Andretti’s was simply superior as gospel.
The New Zealand F1 team’s bid to “reserve” Chadwick a seat is unsuccessful.
Given the sensitive nature of this process, the divisive discussion that has surrounded it for more than a year, and the fact that F1 obviously still needs to be persuaded that Andretti will add value to the championship, there is bound to be some paranoia about certain details leaking out.
But in terms of knowledge, we’re currently in an uncharted territory.
The FIA has “approved” an F1 entry for a final, crucial round of negotiations with Formula One Management, but we have no real information on its relative strengths and weaknesses or where the others allegedly fell short.
I’m hoping that will start to change in the not too distant future.
Since the moment FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem unilaterally opened up the tendering process for additional teams, there has been a chance for awkwardness.
He was under no obligation to do that but once he’d done it the FIA was under an obligation to consider the applications.
In addition, the FIA was required to accept any applicant’s application if they met the criteria outlined in that process.
If not, it would be in questionable legal territory.
So now, F1 is in a precarious position where, if it rejects a commercial deal, it may face legal action and a myriad of other issues.
A Jack Benyon.
It’s safe to say that Michael Andretti and his team “ruffled a few feathers” in their attempt to establish their own Formula 1 team.
But criticizing F1 and its teams in the media, as Andretti has done in the past – admittedly sometimes in response to others discussing their opinion of its addition to the series – will only get you so far.
This is especially true when you consider that F1 is essentially a franchise model seen in all of modern American sports and that the teams are simply safeguarding their own interests as any other squad in any other sport would do.
I hope that the news of today will not lead people to believe that Andretti’s strategy has been justified in some way, but rather to begin more subdued lobbying of F1 and its teams to complete the task with a little more gravitas.
It doesn’t seem like the best course of action to keep denouncing the system and the individuals who work within it.
Although it is F1’s responsibility to safeguard the future of the championship, it would be fantastic to have a new team capable of garnering attention like Andretti.
This feels like just the first of some significant obstacles to make this happen, so a more covert, understated strategy will be required to get this team over the finish line.
NOW IS THE TIME TO DETERMINE WHO REALLY RUNS F1.
This is the turning point in the battle of words between the FIA and the current teams/F1 over who controls and, more importantly, who decides the sport’s future course.
Andretti is a team deserving of a chance in Formula One, and it hasn’t exactly been coy about why it should be accepted.
F1 could actually use a few more potential front-runners.
However, the bigger picture is that almost every track facility will need to be reviewed before it can handle more cars, so that is a significant commitment for most circuits.
In Monaco, adding two more teams could quickly force the pit complex to be relocated.
An American team with the history of the Andretti name — particularly Mario — attached to it is exactly what it needs to strengthen its foothold in that market as Liberty Media drives Formula 1 to higher viewing levels across all media platforms.
Acceptance, however, is very different from actually putting it all together. So keep an eye on this space for updates.
FOR F1, ANDRETTI REALLY NEEDS TO UP THE GAME.
I’m in favor of adding more teams to the Formula One grid, especially one as intriguing as this Andretti/Cadillac combination.
However, Andretti has a lot to prove in terms of competition.
In terms of past success and family dynasty, it is only currently a motorsports powerhouse in America.
It has been more than ten years since an Andretti driver has won a major championship in anything other than rallycross and junior series thanks to Jake Dennis’ Formula E world championship for its electric arm.
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Why Grosjean’s Andretti IndyCar maneuver went so wrong.
IndyCar’s most recent champion came in 2012 with Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Since Takuma Sato’s triumph for it in 2017, it hasn’t won the Indianapolis 500.
Andretti is currently being left behind in its IndyCar heartland by more than just its longtime rivals Penske and Ganassi.
The only Andretti driver in the top 10 of the IndyCar championship this year was Colton Herta, who finished behind Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s front-runner.
In recent years, McLaren has produced more convincing title bids.
Failure in IndyCar does not guarantee Andretti’s failure in Formula 1. The project it must now put together will be very different, and if it hires the right personnel and improves its facilities, what it has recently accomplished in IndyCar won’t matter for its F1 form.
However, it is not currently in a strong position to compete in the series that accounts for the majority of its reputation.
Regardless of the reasons for the refusal, Formula 1 should not turn down Andretti at this time.
The existing 10 teams have all been fairly consistent in their insistence that any genuine new entrant needs to pay through the nose to even get in, AND be a fool-proof bet on bringing in buckets more cash for everyone else to share.
F1 has made it clear that it wants manufacturer teams that are signed up for the 2026 engine regulations and/or manufacturer-backed projects that are prepared to invest in/buy-out one of the existing 10 teams.
Our conclusion: the FIA has approved Andretti, but will F1?
Of course, the FIA isn’t really interested in any of that; as long as Andretti has enough money to be a legitimate, long-lasting team rather than an embarrassment to F1, go ahead!
It’s a clever way to increase the pressure on Formula One and the teams, who haven’t exactly had the best relationship with the current FIA leadership.
It’s almost equivalent to saying that no new team would ever be competitive enough to enter if you reject a group with a track record in motorsport and the support of a significant automaker (even if that manufacturer isn’t building an engine right away).
When compared to Ferrari customer Haas, Dorilton-backed Williams, or even steadfastly independent constructor McLaren, a Cadillac-branded Andretti doesn’t appear to be a significantly less viable business venture.
