The Formula 1 grid will remain at 10 teams and 20 total cars until at least 2028, after F1 rejected a joint bid from Michael Andretti and Cadillac to enter the championship in 2025.
The FIA had approved the application from Michael Andretti in 2023, but the final decision from Formula 1 management was delivered on Wednesday. F1’s reasoning for the rejection shocked many world class drivers and fans, who vented on Twitter over F1’s statements.
According to F1, the addition of a new team would not provide value to the sport, and the Andretti team would not be competitive on the grid.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.”
Perhaps the most confounding reason listed by F1 for rejecting Andretti is an argument that the name “Andretti” isn’t famous enough in world motorsports.
“While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.”
While the second half of that statement is obviously true for all teams involved – Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari all enjoy the attention the worldwide stage of F1 provides, the first point is mystifying, especially considering the teams currently existing in Formula 1.
Mario Andretti is a former Formula 1 world champion! Andretti Autosport won a Formula E championship in 2023, and has Multiple IndyCar titles and Indy 500 trophies back at the shop. Gene Haas, by comparison, would have entirely unknown to European and Asian racing fans when his F1 team debuted in 2016.
F1 noted that Andretti could enter in 2028, should General Motors develop it’s own power unit.
“We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 Championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house.”
Here’s what drivers and fans were saying about the decision: