“If It Ain’t Broken, You Don’t Need to Fix It”: $3,700,000,000 Worth Lawrence Stroll Sends Cryptic Message Amid Andretti’s F1 Dream

Three days ago, Andretti Global got one step closer to its dream. For almost a decade, Formula 1 has been a 10-team sport. That’s the way every stakeholder in the sport and business likes it. Even so, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem opened the doors for new teams in 2022. Andretti saw that as a sign—its sign to attack the F1 scene after conquering the American open-wheel racing circuit. Under the leadership of Michael Andretti, the team made a ‘true American’ bid to enter F1. It may have cleared the first hurdle, but as it approaches its biggest one, Lawrence Stroll proves another hurdle.

$3.7 billion-worth Stroll made his way into F1 after buying Force India. Two years later, he bought a stake in Aston Martin, and since 2022, it’s been a constructor in the sport. Over the years, he’s not just amassed billions of dollars owing to his investments but also built up this business acumen, an eye for detail. And that’s exactly why he isn’t too happy about Andretti’s bid.

Lawrence Stroll is content with an Andretti-free paddock

As per the latest Concorde Agreement—a contract between the FIA, F1, and the teams that lays down the rules for the sport and how the prize money is distributed—F1 can have a maximum of 26 cars on the grid. Seeing that, Andretti put in its bid to become the 11th team. Most teams have been averse to the idea because that would directly affect the percentage of prize money teams get. And F1, whether anyone likes it or not, is largely dependent on money. 

With a business-oriented mind like Stroll’s, it’s obvious he wouldn’t really like a change in the existing dynamics. While that didn’t need to be explicitly stated to be known, the Aston Martin owner came out and said it, just in case. Per a video posted by Sky Sports F1 on X, Stroll addressed Andretti’s potential entry. He said, “I think F1, the business, at the moment, is on fire. The sport’s never been in a better place, and I believe, ‘If it ain’t broke, you don’t need to fix it.’ So, I’m a strong believer that it’s working really well with 10 teams right now. I believe that’s the way it should stay.”

To write home his point, he emphasized how F1 is already fulfilling what Liberty Media (F1’s owner) wanted to achieve—making F1 a commercial success, especially in the US. “The sport and the business are on fire. There’s never been more fans or spectators. The audience is the highest it’s ever been. I continue to see substantial growth, particularly in the United States,” he concluded. 

Read More: Days After FIA’s Approval, Andretti Finds Itself in Legal Trouble as Former F1 Star Initiates Lawsuit

There’s no doubt F1 is rapidly gaining popularity in the US (and worldwide). Considering the US is the largest consumer market in the world, and Andretti is an American brand, wouldn’t it help F1 and Liberty Media’s goal? That’s a situation F1 has to deal with as Andretti gears up to convince the organization.

Will Andretti make it into F1?

On October 2, the FIA gave Andretti Global the go-ahead in terms of its sporting, technical, and financial analysis. With that bridge crossed, Andretti has a mammoth task lining up ahead. Convincing F1 and Liberty Media that the team will add commercial value to the sport. When Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017, its main aim was to get the sport the exposure it deserves. As much as F1 is about the teams and the competition, it’s also about the fans. As Lawrence Stroll said, F1 is already doing that. But doesn’t every business strive to achieve more?

While discussing Andretti’s potential entry, Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei gave his thoughts. As reported by the BBC, he said, “In the right set of circumstances, we would work to get the 11th team. Somebody who could bring a lot of value to the sport, a lot of value to the fans.” Can Andretti bring anything more than the 10 existing teams already do? That’s precisely what F1 will analyze in Andretti’s bid’s next stage. F1’s statement after the FIA’s approval read, “We note the FIA’s conclusions in relation to the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application.”

What’s your take on Andretti’s bid? Are you, like Lawrence Stroll, happy with just 10 teams? Or would you like to see an 11th team soon?

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