Andretti Faces Major Roadblock as F1 Teams Put Forward This Engine Demand

For quite some time now, Michael Andretti under the Andretti Autosport name is trying to enter F1. And as lucrative and popular as the sport is, who can blame him?

But his attempts to join the traveling circus have failed time and again. But it seems the American team will not rest until they find themself a spot on the F1 grid.

Will F1 welcome the 11th team? Not yet!

Michael Andretti is spearheading an attempt to introduce the 11th team to the grid. The former F1 driver has been attempting to break into F1 for a while now. And Michael’s father Mario, an F1 world champion and an Indianapolis 500 winner, revealed the bid via Twitter.

However, there is a feeling in F1 that the Andretti brand alone won’t be enough to make it to F1. And that they would need to partner with a car manufacturer that can play the role of their engine supplier. As for now, all signs point to Renault who currently supplies PUs to their F1 team, Alpine.

Read More: Haas Reveals Biggest Azerbaijan GP Target After Mick Schumacher’s Million-Dollar Shunt in Monaco

But, comments from F1 entities in recent weeks suggest it won’t be as easy or as soon as the Andretti’s would like it. Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said, “There’s a potential that we may increase the teams over time; I don’t think it’s a pressing need. There’s a lot of people who would like us to do it.”

Andretti’s attempts to take over Force India and Sauber Alfa Romeo have all failed. But there’s a feeling Andretti Autosport won’t rest until they exhaust all the options.

Mixed feelings toward the Andretti introduction

The team principals on the grid are also aware of Andretti’s attempts and there is a mixed bag of emotions. The Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, thinks there won’t be a new team until 2026 unless someone buys an existing team. This contradicts Andretti’s plan to enter F1 by 2024.

On the flip side, Mclaren CEO Zak Brown and Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi are supporting Andretti’s attempts. Whether Mario and his son Michael Andretti see these attempts to fruition or eventually give up is for us to find out.

Watch this story: Mercedes Brings Formula One To The Streets With Its Latest Innovation

One thing is for sure, there will be plenty of changes coming to F1 till 2026. What new changes would you like to see in F1?