F1 News: Andretti bullish on F1 U-turn on 11th team bid

Michael Andretti, Andretti, 2023, Social Composite — Photo: © IMAGO

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Andretti bullish on F1 U-turn on 11th team bid

Michael Andretti hinted that a compelling new bid could force F1's hand on their team's entry

Yara Elshebiny

Thursday 11 April 2024 15:57

Andretti has thrown down the gauntlet, hinting that a compelling new bid could force Formula 1's hand on their team's entry.

The Andretti saga in F1 continues to unfold, with an intriguing twist. Though their application for an 11th team slot alongside General Motors brand Cadillac by the 2026 season was approved by the FIA, it was then met with rejection in January by the commercial rights holders, as they expressed doubts about Andretti's immediate competitiveness and value addition to the championship.

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But while the door was slammed shut for the next two seasons, a small crack remained open for 2028. F1 stated it would 'look differently' on an application including a full engine supply deal from General Motors, who are slated to become a power unit manufacturer from that year onwards.

Now, Andretti took a step closer in the hopes of securing a slot on the F1 grid in the near future.

F1 rejected Andretti's bid to bring new US-based team to grid by 2026

Andretti: F1 'can't say no'

Undeterred by the initial rejection, Andretti have continued to push forward with their F1 ambitions, unveiling a brand-new 48,000-square-foot facility at Silverstone Park in the UK, which will serve as a central hub for Andretti's global racing endeavours along with their existing facilities in Indiana and the UK.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Michael Andretti, the former McLaren driver leading the charge alongside his father, Mario Andretti, underscored their ongoing dialogue with Formula One Management (FOM).

He also emphasised the importance of having General Motors, a major American automaker, on board.

"We are still working along with FOM and we will show that we are bringing a lot to the party," he said.

"General Motors is huge coming to the party. They are not just coming to be here, they are coming here to be a big part of our team, and I think it's not been understood yet how big that is.

Andretti also expressed confidence that once the full picture of their project is understood, F1 won't be able to refuse them.

"I think once everybody understands what we are really putting together it'll be a point where they can't say no."

Furthermore, Andretti revealed that GM are already building their F1 engine but insisted that they 'need two years' for the team to be ready and competitive.

"They are currently building an engine. They are already registered to do it," he said.

"So we will have an engine in '28, but obviously we need to build to get there. To just, all of a sudden, show up in '28 with a new engine and no team, we need two years to build there to get there that when we do get our own engine the team's ready to go and be competitive.

"So we are not naive in any way in that way."

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