“It’s a Mystery”: Andretti Claps Back at Existing Teams Week After $39B Automaker’s Grand F1 Invitation

When Michael Andretti stepped foot into Formula 1 in 1993, he was ecstatic to be the partner of Ayrton Senna. However, the IndyCar Champion would not be able to mimic Senna’s supremacy. While he would never match his father Mario Andretti‘s F1 World Championship in 78’, the seeds for his return to Formula 1 were sown. The Andretti F1 dream started to gain traction this year after the FIA approved the team to compete.

But this is only one-half of the battle won. The bigger challenge is pleasing the Formula 1 team and management that the team will bring in more than they take away. Although Andretti is a name that goes hand in hand with Formula 1, the business side of things lacked the proper backing to warrant approval. The Italian-American racer persevered through the storm, partnering up with the American giant, General Motors. Unfortunately, the Cadillac-backed effort is still receiving pushback from the existing teams and Formula 1 Management. Adding to their woes, F1 also rolled out the proverbial red carpet with a grand invitation for standalone entry of GM.

Michael Andretti disagrees with the F1 grid on their value proposition

Ever since FIA gave them the approval, other teams have strongly voiced their opinions on Andretti’s entry. Teams are worried that the addition of an eleventh team on the grid would not only raise the logistical concerns of accommodating an entirely new team in the paddock. The bigger concern for the teams is the financial consequences of a new team’s entry into the sport could have on the prize money. The friction he was facing quite surprised the man behind it all. “It’s a mystery to me, in some ways, you know, why they’re pushing back,” Andretti was quoted by SpeedCafe.

“They say we’re slicing the pie, but I think the point is, hopefully, we bring more than what we’re taking away”, the Italian-American reflected on The Grid’s concern that Andretti would dilute an already competitive market for sponsors, which could significantly impact the existing F1 team’s operations. It’s no wonder that teams such as Williams, who are struggling to run without losses, would want to veto the entry of a potential threat to their very existence. After all, what good is a new team if it forces old ones to exit?

But the aspiring entrant was confident that Andretti and Cadillac would benefit the teams – “And we really believe that and I think if you look at the fan support and on all the surveys that have been done and things like that – we think that we’re going to add to it, not take away.” The former IndyCar Champion laid out all his cards on the table. “I think there’s plenty to go around,” he added, “There’s a lot of companies that are not in this series right now that have already contacted us that are quite interested that, once we get the approval, that they want to talk to us.”

READ MORE: As Andretti’s F1 Entry Ruffles Feathers, FIA’s Verdict Plays Right Into Max Verstappen’s Hands

Michael Andretti’s frustration with the team’s disapproval of a new team entering was justified. After all, was it not enough to bring in a $39 billion manufacturer? Andretti has already proven they can bring in big American names to the sport like General Motors, but the teams are adamant there’s little to gain. However, Andretti has thought this through to the very end, and after all they have shown so far, he stated, “So, I disagree with that.”

Andretti and General Motors’ dream might have bigger woes than the team’s disapproval

Even if Michael Andretti manages to convince the likes of Christian Horner and Toto Wolff about the new team’s commitment to both the competition and economics of the sport, there remains a bigger obstacle. The team found themselves in a fix earlier this year when Alpine announced that their pre-contract with the American outfit to supply engines was over. This meant that Andretti’s F1 team was left without an engine supplier to fuel their dream.

However, Formula 1 does account for this issue and has a clause in the regulations which demands that a constructor without an engine partner will be supplied by the engine manufacturer supplying the least number of teams.

Which has left Andretti with two different engine choices. One would be Alpine because they supply the least number of teams, while another solid option would be Honda. Although Andretti would have hoped Audi’s entry in 2026 would yield a good partnership, the German manufacturer is expected to only supply their works team.

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While they have crossed the first major hurdle and gotten FIA approval, the problems are piling up for the American outfit to solve. With the time and the grid against them, the GM and Andretti F1 partnership will have to mimic Cadillac’s endurance success and weather out this storm. But will the resilient effort pay off for Michael Andretti? Stay tuned to find out!