Fred Vasseur Joins Forces With Toto Wolff to Give Verdict on Andretti’s F1 Entry

Lately, the paddock has been buzzing. The news of a new engine roaring down the grid, possibly by 2026 has rattled the pit walls. Since FIA has approved GM-backed Andretti to join the sport, teams are rallying to ask the question, “What value does it add?” Mercedes’ Toto Wolff was among the first to oppose such an addition. A similar strident voice can be heard from the Ferrari garage. Frederic Vasseur, who’s found an ally in Wolff, poses as an antagonist for the baby team.

Andretti-Cadillac Formula 1 is a name that carries a huge weight. The potential it holds is massive. Yet team principals of the likes of Frederic Vasseur and Toto Wolff are reluctant to welcome the new team. Clarifying that there is no personal enmity, it’s all about good business for the team bosses.

Frederic Vasseur responds you cannot sit with us

Micheal Andretti is the son of the racing legend & 1978 F1 champion Mario Andretti. He rallied General Motors, a big name in the autosport industry, for an entry in Formula 1. FIA has now approved Andretti’s entry, but the current team owners are not enthused. Toto Wolff has been vocal about the Cadillac-Andretti pairing ever since the news broke. Responding the earliest he said, “I think whoever joins as an 11th team needs to demonstrate how accretive they can be for the business. Andretti is a great name.”

Voicing an equally loud negation is Frederic Vasseur. “I think we would put F1 in a tough situation with this, except, as I said, if the new entry would bring massive value to F1,” he responded. He recalled that half the grid was close to bankruptcy 3-4 years ago, therefore adding a new team might put F1 in a difficult spot. It is not hard to understand that the Ferrari team boss is not the biggest fan of an 11th team on the grid.

Owing to the diversity question, something Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton has been rallying for, Vasseur believes that Andretti’s entry does no good for diversity. He said, “We already have a team which is American with Haas, we have an American driver on the grid… the question for me is around this, what could be the added value?”

READ MORE: Visionary Frederic Vasseur Makes Ferrari Look Beyond Its Italian Heritage for Regaining Its F1 Glory

Wolff had a similar stance when the bids for a new team started making the rounds. With negligible value addition and only a powerful name, Wolff is opposed to such a decision. However, a particular driver of his team does not share the same views.

Sports, diversity, and money are the big three of F1

Echoing a slightly different tone than his team boss, Lewis Hamilton is all about an 11th team, clarifying later, as long as it is about diversity. “I’ve always felt that there wasn’t enough cars on the grid,” Hamilton responded. “So, whilst there will definitely be people that won’t be happy for me to be so supportive of it, I think it’s great,” he elaborated.

Micheal Andretti has shot back at the teams. He has ticketed them as ‘greedy‘. A possibility for the opposition could be due to the Concorde Agreement. The said document states that any new entrant to F1 has to pay $200m anti-dilution fees, so teams get a $20m cut each. But with the increasing value of the teams over the years, they want the fees to be increased to $600m. However, Andretti is a firm believer that another American team would build value. The large American audience could add to the current F1 scene.

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Although fans would love to see new competition emerging on the grid, it is difficult to pinpoint when exactly the competition would be available. The team bosses, understandably, care about the business aspect of the sport, but Formula 1 fans want the adrenaline. After a relatively slow burn of a season, people are eager to see new faces.