F1 chief insists no ‘pressure’ to green light Andretti team bid

Andretti overlaid on the FIA flag — Photo: © LAT Images

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F1 chief insists no ‘pressure’ to green light Andretti team bid

Stefano Domenicali has said he's not being rushed into a decision

Anna Malyon

Tuesday 28 November 2023 22:57

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Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has insisted that there is no immediate 'pressure' to bring Andretti onto the grid, claiming that other projects are currently taking precedence.

In early October, the FIA officially approved Andretti Global's bid to join the F1 grid as an eleventh team. However, they are required to finalise commercial agreements before making a full entry.

However, Domenicali has emphasised that there is no urgency in bringing Andretti onto the F1 grid, saying that other projects take priority at this time.

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“I would say if we’re talking about drivers that’s one thing, if we’re talking about teams that’s another thing,” Domenicali said. “So, I would say I have nothing to hide on that. It’s a process on the commercial side that I respect and when we are ready, we will give the answer.

“We don’t feel any pressure on that, but we need to do the right job, that’s our duty. And with regard to the drivers, it’s great to see that there are a lot of rookies that now the F1 teams have these academy projects.

“We have the F1 Academy that will develop female drivers, and this is the beauty that we have great drivers today, they are aspirational, and we’re attracting more young talent to the sport. So, this is not a problem for the future.”

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali insists no pressure to introduce Andretti onto F1 grid

Andretti got the green light to join the F1 grid in October

Andretti’s bid

Michael Andretti previously provided insight into his team's progress in entering F1 but claimed that his team 'have the right' to be on the grid.

"It was very vigorous [the process], it was tough thing to go through for our team and I’m proud to say we came out on top in every category,” Andretti said. “I think it definitely shows that we have the right to be here on the grid and we’re excited about that.”

However, Andretti's proposed entry has sparked some controversy, with the Williams team principal, James Vowles, expressing concerns about potential financial repercussions.

Williams team principal James Vowles shared concerns about Andretti entry

"There’s a limited sponsor base, fundamentally to all of us," Vowles explained. "We're already fighting over the same sponsors. That will reduce it again by a certain amount.

"For that matter, I'm not anti-11 teams. I think 11 teams, if the sport is healthy, grows [F1]. But what we’ve been asking for from the outset is let’s make it financially stable."

Although the timing of Andretti's debut on the F1 grid remains unknown, it's clear that F1 is in no hurry to fast-track their entry onto the grid.

F1 FIA Stefano Domenicali Andretti Global