F1 rejects Andretti bid to bring new US-based team to grid by 2026

Formula 1 has rejected the US-based Andretti team’s bid to enter the sport before 2026. Formula 1 has emphatically rejected the offer, but has left the option open for a new application in 2028.

The team, led by former F1 driver Michael Andretti alongside his father, 1978 F1 world champion Mario, had been approved by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, but was rejected by the commercial rights holder because it opinion was the team would not be competitive and would not add value to the championship.

The decision was expected but will still prove controversial, with widespread public support for Andretti’s entry as F1’s eleventh team. Their bid was made in collaboration with Cadillac, the manufacturer of General Motors.

In a lengthy statement issued on Wednesday, F1 explained the reasoning behind the rejection, but also said a new application would be taken into account for 2028, when the team could potentially have the added weight of General Motors as a supplier of the power source.

In October last year, after a long and extensive review, the FIA ​​approved Andretti’s entry. However, gaining F1 approval was always going to be a more difficult obstacle.

There was opposition from the existing ten teams, who were concerned that an eleventh would dilute their share of the sport’s revenues without significantly improving revenues. F1’s owners, Formula One Management, have been explicit all along that they were concerned that the newcomer would not add value to the sport and prove uncompetitive, damaging F1’s reputation.

They conducted their own in-depth commercial assessment and concluded that the potential risks of accepting a newcomer were not significantly offset by any additional value the team would deliver.

Their conclusions included research suggesting that Andretti, not F1, would be the main beneficiary of their inclusion; it cited the costs to the promoters of adjusting to hosting an eleventh team; a lack of evidence of any financial improvement in the value of the commercial side of the sport and the difficulties faced by a new team using a customer power unit during a period with a major regulatory change in 2026.

F1’s unequivocal conclusion will be a huge blow to the Andretti company, which has already invested in staff and worked in a wind tunnel on a potential 60% size car.

“Our assessment process has determined that the presence of an eleventh team would not in itself add value to the championship,” the F1 statement said. “The most important way a newcomer can add value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive entrant.”

Andretti has yet to comment on the decision and could potentially take legal action, especially given the almost unprecedented situation of the bid being approved by the FIA ​​but rejected by F1.

When the FIA ​​invited new bids for a place in the sport, it was believed this was done without consultation with F1. It was a move that further exacerbated already strained relations between the two agencies. These are unlikely to be relaxed as the FIA ​​president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, initiated the process and has publicly supported awarding a place to an eleventh team.

The Andretti team’s entry was perceived as a credible and realistic entry by fans, especially in the US, and many have objected to F1 teams’ resistance to accepting new competition.

Andretti’s team has enjoyed success in other series, including four IndyCar championships, six Indy 500 wins and the 2023 Formula E drivers’ title. In October last year, their bid was strongly backed by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

“It’s an opportunity for more jobs and there are two more seats available for a potential female driver,” Hamilton said. “It opens up more possibilities and I think it will be exciting for racing,” said Hamilton.

The partnership with Cadillac and General Motors was also seen as a major selling point, as was the respect the Andretti name enjoys in motorsports. However, F1 was emphatically not confident that this would translate into a positive effect on the sport.

“While the Andretti name brings some recognition to F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would add value to the Andretti brand, rather than the other way around,” the statement said.