Andretti has announced Jak Crawford as its reserve and development driver for the new Formula E season. The American replaces Zane Maloney who has moved into a race seat with Lola-Yamaha Abt, and gets the nod after testing for Andretti at last …
Andretti has announced Jak Crawford as its reserve and development driver for the new Formula E season.
The American replaces Zane Maloney who has moved into a race seat with Lola-Yamaha Abt, and gets the nod after testing for Andretti at last season’s rookie test in Berlin, where he was second-quickest of the 22 drivers.
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“I’m very excited to be the official Reserve and Development Driver for the Andretti Formula E team in Season 11,” said Crawford. “Growing up in America, Andretti is such a household name in motorsport so it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to be part of the team.
“I’m keen to learn as much about the car as possible from both Jake (Dennis) and Nico (Mueller), and to play a role on the development side through simulator work. I’m looking forward to getting started and to hopefully have the chance to get more experience in the car.”
Crawford, also a member of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team’s young driver program, has been competing in Formula 2 for the last two years. He sits fifth in the points this season with four races to go, having won the feature race in Barcelona back in May. He also claimed a sprint race win at the Red Bull Ring last season.
“We are very pleased to announce that Jak is taking a more permanent role with the Andretti Formula E team as our reserve and development driver,” said Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths. “His debut with us at the Berlin Rookie Test was very impressive and he immediately showed strong pace.
“When the opportunity of a reserve and development driver arose, Jak was immediately of interest. He has demonstrated a mature approach through his second season in Formula 2, and since his appearance with us, has already achieved a win and three additional podiums. We look forward to his contributions in helping improve the team’s performance through his active role driving the simulator.”
Andretti has become the first team to confirm its driver lineup for Formula E’s first all-female test, with Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti set to drive for the team in the half-day session in Valencia next month. Confirmation of Chambers’ inclusion …
Andretti has become the first team to confirm its driver lineup for Formula E’s first all-female test, with Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti set to drive for the team in the half-day session in Valencia next month.
Confirmation of Chambers’ inclusion in Andretti’s lineup for the test comes after last week’s announcement that she will be joining Red Bull’s driver development program, and will race with the company’s backing in F1 Academy next year.
She already competes in the all-female series, with support from Haas, where she has won once and has three other podium finishes in 10 races so far this season. The 20-year-old Indiana native also dominated the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, winning eight of 12 races, and was the first woman to win and take pole position in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Andretti Formula E team in Valencia,” said Chambers. “It will be different for me, being my first experience in electric racing, but I’m excited to take on this new challenge and expand my horizons.
“The Andretti Formula E team has had great success in Formula E, and I’m glad to be learning from some of the best! As an American, it’s especially exciting to be working with such an iconic name in racing.”
Like Chambers, Marti is a race winner in F1 Academy. Jordan McKean/Motorsport Images
Marti is also a winner in F1 Academy, claiming victory at Paul Ricard last season. Over the last two years she’s taken a further eight podiums. She was also the highest ranking rookie in the penultimate W Series season in 2021.
“Getting behind the wheel of a Formula E car is an incredible opportunity,” said Marti. “Formula E represents the future of racing, and I’m going to soak up every moment and learn as much as I can from the experience. The series is all about innovation and pushing boundaries, and as a female driver, it’s what I’ve been striving for throughout my career, so I’m thrilled to be part of it.
“It’s very special that the test is taking place in Valencia, my hometown. Circuit Ricardo Tormo is where I got my first taste of racing, so I have some very special memories there. I’m focused on making the most of every lap and showing the Andretti Formula E team what I can do.”
Chambers and Marti join a long list of female drivers who have taken to the track for Andretti, with the likes of Danica Patrick, Jamie Chadwick, Catie Munnings, Ana Beatriz, Beitske Visser, Ashton Harrison and Simona de Silvestro all competing for the team in the past.
“We are super excited to announce both Chloe and Nerea as the Andretti drivers for the all-women test in Valencia,” said Andretti Formula E team principal Roger Griffiths. “As an organization, we have been leaders in promoting women in motorsport, fielding multiple drivers over the years across our varied programs, and being the only Formula E team to run a woman driver for a full season with Simona de Silvestro in Season 2.
“Both Chloe and Nerea have shown their pedigree in F1 Academy with regular visits to the podium, and we are eager to see how they get on in the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric Formula E car.”
Andretti has announced the signing of Nico Mueller, replacing Norman Nato in the team’s Formula E lineup alongside 2022-23 champion Jake Dennis. The long-anticipated arrival of the Swiss driver comes four days after Nato’s departure from the team …
Andretti has announced the signing of Nico Mueller, replacing Norman Nato in the team’s Formula E lineup alongside 2022-23 champion Jake Dennis.
“I’m very excited to join the Andretti Formula E team,” said Mueller. “It’s a team that has seen success from the very beginning of the Championship, particularly in the GEN3 era in their partnership with Porsche Motorsport.
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“To work with Jake, a former World Champion, is an honor, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I’m going to give it my very best to contribute to the team’s success and hopefully aim for some podiums and my first Formula E win – that’s the target. I can’t wait to get going.”
Mueller’s move to Andretti comes after almost a season of speculation that he would join Porsche after a private test with the manufacturer in March. He was initially expected to replace Antonio Felix da Costa in the factory TAG Heuer Porsche team, only for the Portuguese driver to enjoy a dramatic upturn in form which led to him finishing the season with four wins, more than any other driver in the 2023-24 season.
He subsequently departed Abt Cupra after the conclusion of the tenth Formula E season, and departed Peugeot’s World Endurance Championship squad, too. Andretti, which is a Porsche customer team, said that Mueller’s signing was “as a new part of Porsche’s customer racing operations”, seemingly confirming his move to the German marque – although Andretti does retain sole control over who drives for it in Formula E.
“We are delighted to welcome Nico to the Andretti Formula E team for Season 11,” said Andretti Formula E team principal Roger Griffiths. “His familiarity with electric racing is proven, and he has shown he can deliver strong results across a wide variety of Formula E tracks. Nico is a race winner in many disciplines of motorsport, and we look forward to him lining up alongside Jake Dennis at the opening race in Brazil.”
Mueller has one podium finish in Formula E, coming with Dragon/Penske Autosport in the 2020-21 season. His resume also boasts stints in DTM – where he was an 11-time race winner and two-time championship runner-up – WEC, and World Rallycross.
“We have high expectations for Season 11, and we’re confident that adding a driver of Nico’s caliber will help us get results,” said Andretti Global chairman and CEO Michael Andretti. “His experience and success in Formula E, and numerous other highly respected racing series, will be key as we continue to increase the depth of our driver roster. We’re looking forward to seeing what Nico can do as we continue our pursuit of wins and World Championships.”
Mueller will take to the track with Andretti for the first time later this month as part of a Porsche manufacturer test, before heading to Valencia in November for Formula E pre-season testing.
The 2023 Extreme E season was one to forget for Andretti Altawkilat. Although tipped to be one of the series’ front-running teams, it made just three final appearances all year – taking a podium in two of those – and withdrew from the season finale …
The 2023 Extreme E season was one to forget for Andretti Altawkilat. Although tipped to be one of the series’ front-running teams, it made just three final appearances all year — taking a podium in two of those — and withdrew from the season finale after a big crash in the penultimate round.
Fast forward to the 2024 campaign, and a lot has changed. Four rounds in, Andretti’s team of Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings have three podium finishes, plus a Redemption Race win in the season opener in Saudi Arabia. While team principal Roger Griffiths says there are a number of contributing factors to the upturn in performance, he does believe driver lineup consistency has been a key element. Andretti is the only team still with its Season 1 driver lineup intact, and one of just three with the same as last season.
“I think the consistency of our driver lineup is paying off,” he told RACER. “Timmy and Catie are working really well together.
“We’ve not so much focused on testing the Odyssey 21 [Extreme E race vehicle], because I think we know that car well enough, but we have focused more on driver preparation, so getting them ready for a race event — and you don’t necessarily have to be in the Odyssey 21 to do that — and focusing on what type of services we’re going to be racing on.
“That’s really been a confidence builder. It worked super well in the sand in Saudi and then we did something similar going into Scotland. That seems to have paid off.”
While Griffiths says that testing the soon-to-be replaced Odyssey 21 hasn’t been a major focus for Andretti, he points out that the team’s existing understanding of the car is a strong one that has enabled them to be adaptable from one location to the next.
“We really nailed a setup on the car that is kind of a base, with then a range of operating changes that we can make to suit the conditions underfoot,” he said. “In Scotland we had a wet session early on, and then as more cars ran, the drier it got and we were able to evolve our setup as the track dried. Then again overnight, we reset when it was damp again in the morning. We’ve just gotten a bit smarter about that.”
Luck — or a lack of the bad variety — has also played its part.
“The car, for us generally, has been very reliable,” Griffiths said. “But I think the biggest thing is we stayed out of trouble. We’ve not got caught up in incidents as much as others have done.
“If you think back to Saudi last year, we had three rolls in three days, so you’re never going to do well from there. Chile, obviously, we had the huge crash — and I think that was a bit of an eye-opener for both Catie and Timmy.”
There have been plenty of podium visits this year for Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen, but Griffiths feels like more seat time is key to their taking the next step. Dom Romney/Motorsport Images
With the team now back to being regular podium contenders, the next step is to return to the winners’ ranks. Andretti hasn’t won a round since the first season of Extreme E in 2021, and while it’s one of the in-form teams at the moment, Griffiths isn’t taking the team’s current run for granted, admitting that bringing everything together and winning again is “not straightforward,” especially with current leaders E.ON Next Veloce Racing winning the two most recent rounds.
One way Griffiths believes the team could improve is by getting Munnings more seat time across other categories. While teammate Hansen is driving regularly in World Rallycross, Munnings only has the occasional E1 powerboat race to fall back on outside Extreme E.
“I think we’re going to do a little bit more with Catie just to make sure she’s race ready, race seasoned,” Griffiths said. “Timmy’s just started the rallycross championship, so he’s going to be regularly competing in that. We’re looking at what we can do with Catie just to get her more race mileage.
“Probably Catie’s biggest disadvantage is that her background is rallying as opposed to rallycross — so, single car at a time, not used to cars going door handle to door handle. Obviously, she’s learned through Extreme E about that, but we want to get her out there in front of more competitive people. It doesn’t have to be in a rallycross car. There’s plenty of other off-road racing championships we can put her in to see what we can achieve there.
“It’s all about confidence,” he added. “If we get Catie confident, then she’s as good as Laia (Sanz of Acciona Sainz) or Cristina (Gutierrez of NEOM McLaren) or whatever.
“So that’s the focus. I’d like to see us on another step, or two steps higher up on the podium. But to consistently be on the podium three out the last four races and to have a win in the Redemption Race, I think it’s a pretty strong start — certainly compared to previous seasons.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has told Andretti Cadillac to try and buy an existing Formula 1 team rather than attempt to join the sport as a new entrant, despite initiating the process for new teams last year. Ben Sulayem endorsed Andretti’s …
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has told Andretti Cadillac to try and buy an existing Formula 1 team rather than attempt to join the sport as a new entrant, despite initiating the process for new teams last year.
Ben Sulayem endorsed Andretti’s bid and instructed the FIA to open up the process that would allow new teams to try and join the grid, with the existing agreements stating there can be at least two more constructors’ entered into F1. Andretti’s submission was the only one approved by the FIA as meeting all of the criteria the governing body had set out for a new team, allowing it to try and reach a commercial agreement with Formula One Management (FOM).
While U.S. Government officials have been lobbying for investigations into the lack of an entry so far, Ben Sulayem has now said Andretti should purchase an existing team, despite none of the 10 constructors’ openly stating they are interested in a takeover.
“I have no doubt FOM and Liberty (Media) would love to see other teams as long as they are OEMs (car manufacturers),” Ben Sulayem told Reuters. “I would advise them (Andretti Cadillac) to go and buy another team, not to come as the 11th team.
“I feel that some teams need to be refreshed. What is better? To have 11 teams as a number or 10 and they are strong? I still believe we should have more teams but not any teams. The right teams. It’s not about the number, it’s about the quality.”
Ben Sulayem also suggests some teams are unstable from a managerial perspective and should be targeted by Andretti, although aside from Red Bull – where Christian Horner has come under scrutiny for his alleged behavior towards a colleague – the three most recent teams principal changes have occurred at Alpine, RB and Haas, who all insist they are not for sale.
“Without mentioning names, there are teams which are struggling… struggling with performance, struggling even with management,” he said. “It’s about having the right team, not to lose a chance or an opportunity where someone like GM with a PU [power unit] is coming to Formula 1.
“Imagine the impact. We have three races in America. We have such a huge fan base. But we don’t have a proper (U.S.) team. I’m so happy to have Ford in but imagine having GM and imagine having American drivers.”
The next draft of the Concorde Agreement is currently being worked on that could see an increase on the current $200 million fee demanded of new entrants that would be distributed among existing teams.
“We have to have a balance. Is $200 million too low?” Ben Sulayem added. “I believe $600 (million) is something where it is right for the current market.”
“There was a lot of different meetings going on for lots of different reasons, but we’re just here to show that we’re still working forward – our goal is to be in Formula 1 in 2026 so our work continues at pace.” Michael Andretti knows exactly what …
“There was a lot of different meetings going on for lots of different reasons, but we’re just here to show that we’re still working forward – our goal is to be in Formula 1 in 2026 so our work continues at pace.” Michael Andretti knows exactly what the message is to anyone wanting to know more about the Andretti Cadillac Formula 1 project.
The words “our work continues at pace” have become regular additions to the end of press releases and statements from the team, despite the ongoing uncertainty over an entry.
The Andretti team was once again present at the Miami Grand Prix this weekend and held talks with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, following meetings with Formula One Management (FOM) earlier in April.
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Those meetings with FOM took place when Andretti officially opened its Silverstone facility that has been housing a number of people that are already working on the F1 project, and the investments are not slowing down.
Andretti Global
“[Progress at Silverstone is] very good,” Andretti told RACER on Sunday morning at Hard Rock Stadium. “There’s a lot of building going on there, there’s a lot of building going on at General Motors, and also a lot of building in our Fishers headquarters, so there’s a lot of work happening.
“It’s a risk, for sure, but I think it shows how much we believe in this. We believe it’s great for Formula 1, we think it would be great for American fans, and to bring a company like General Motors into Formula 1 I think is huge. We believe in it that much that we’re willing to roll the dice.”
One of the reasons Andretti is willing to make that gamble is because it’s not just his existing racing outfit or partners such as Group1001 and its CEO Dan Towriss who are putting chips on the table. It’s the level of ambition being shown from GM as well that the team owner highlights as a significant driving factor in the ongoing work.
“[GM is] very committed, very excited,” he said. “I think people will not understand, until we show them, the effort that’s being put in on both sides. This is going to be rival with Ferrari and the Mercedes, the effort that’s being put in with such a great company like GM.”
As it stands, though, all of the investments that are being made – including running a 2025-spec car in the wind tunnel in order to aid learning for 2026 – have been met with resistance from FOM in terms of being granted an entry.
Andretti says he has been asking for more clarity and solutions to the current impasse rather than solely reasons not to expand the grid, but says there is still time available to make progress before the situation starts to become critical.
“Yeah we’re working, we’re trying to get more communication [with FOM] and see what we need to do to get in,” he said.
“No, we’re not there yet [at the point of pausing investments] but it’s getting timely. We’re going to need some answers here soon, but we have some things that we’re working on and hopefully we’ll have some answers soon.”
With a huge OEM in the form of GM behind him and substantial funding that has led to plenty of money being spent on the project so far, Andretti does have a compelling case to join the grid. But FOM’s analysis led to a rejection for 2025 and 2026 earlier this year, with a 2028 entry with a GM power unit being the focus instead.
A letter signed by multiple cross-party members of Congress last week was sent to Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei suggesting there are “concerns with apparent anti-competitive actions” in not having yet admitted Andretti. The timing ahead of Miami was clearly pointed from those behind it, and it is understood the situation was not well received by F1 CEO Stefano Domenical, although Andretti insists he was not a catalyst in getting Congress involved.
“I was 100 percent surprised, I stay out of that,” he said. “I’m just here to build the team and that’s what I’m doing, but for sure it’s great to have people like them looking at what’s going on and getting behind us.”
It was just the latest development in a long-drawn-out situation that looks far from being resolved any time soon. But given he was trying to petition the existing F1 teams for support in Miami two years ago, Andretti does believe progress has been made.
Asked if he feels closer to getting on the grid, he unequivocally confirmed: “Oh yeah, for sure.”
Over the last decade every kind of motorsport imaginable has been electrified. Circuits, off-road, four wheels and two, and even on water – a championship in the air is being worked on, too. Leading the group is Alejandro Agag’s flagship trio of …
Over the last decade every kind of motorsport imaginable has been electrified. Circuits, off-road, four wheels and two, and even on water – a championship in the air is being worked on, too.
Leading the group is Alejandro Agag’s flagship trio of Formula E, Extreme E, and the E1 boat racing series. The list of people who’ve sampled any two of the three is a short one – Stephane Sarazzin raced in both Formula E and Extreme E, while Adrien Tambay has driven both, and Timmy Hansen and Catie Munnings run full schedules in both Extreme E and E1.
But last month Munnings became the first person to experience all three when she completed a brief test of Formula E’s GEN3 car at the Misano E-Prix. The Brit has spent her entire career in the rallying and off-road racing sphere, never once looking at circuit racing, so for her the outing was “a completely new experience”.
“I’ve driven a Formula 3 car before for some filming, but I’ve never driven any other kind of single seater because I never really did track racing,” she tells RACER. “I’m glad that I’d driven the Formula 3 car so I had something to compare it to, though.
“I thought they might do a bit of an introductory phase but it was literally right in at the deep end,” she adds. “The power was turned right up – I think we were on 350 kW, which is what maximum power is.”
Munnings swapped notes with former Formula E driver Karun Chandhok. Andretti Formula E
Munnings is, of course, no stranger to electric race cars, but having that full helping of the Formula E car’s power under her right foot was eye-opening, while the work her left foot had to do also took her by surprise.
“The first thing that I thought was that it just kept accelerating, it didn’t plateau, which was really strange for me and it was just so cool,” she says. “It was incredible acceleration.
“I was obviously very careful not to bin it, but I think the biggest thing that felt funny was the regen braking, because the feedback through the brake pedal was really unique. I was speaking to Karun (Chandhok) afterwards, obviously he’s raced in Formula E, and was telling me that you have a phase where you kind of feel the regen first and then you have to go through that to get the hydraulic brake to work, and obviously it doesn’t have hydraulic brakes on the rear so that was a really unique feeling.
But while the acceleration and the regen were standout points, the car itself wasn’t so intimidating that she couldn’t fully get to grips with it in her short time behind the wheel.
“I think the biggest thing as well was how predictable it was to drive in the corners. It wasn’t as twitchy as the Formula 3 car that I’d driven,” she notes. “It was very smooth on the throttle application, and the handling as well. It was more similar to driving an electric road car in that sense – you got good feedback from it and you were in control of everything.”
Munnings in a single seater was an unfamiliar sight – and perhaps one that won’t be seen again. Andretti Formula E
Munnings isn’t afraid to try something out of her wheelhouse. Her flirtation with Formula E came after she swapped sand for sea by entering the E1 series with Extreme E teammate Timmy Hansen earlier this year.
“Timmy was convinced before I was – we were both asked to go into the driver program and we were put through our powerboat training and then the Superlicense for cockpit racing,” she says. “Timmy went ahead and did the training and came back to me and said “Catie you’ve got to do it, it’s just like driving a car off road”.
“When you get a feeling for the grip of the water, it’s no different, and they were comparing the lap times between motorsport drivers and powerboat racers, and Timmy being Timmy was right up at the top instantly, and I thought it was doable.”
Munnings adds that controlling the E1 boat was, unusually, much like a car, and that the seasoned powerboat racers she competes alongside have had to adapt a fair bit since the controls are the opposite to what they’re used to.
“From that side, that was kind of what convinced me and I just took it step by step,” she says. “I wanted to check that I could be competitive and then it turned out that there was a team that wanted to go with me and Timmy because they felt that we worked quite well together and we know each other well so, going into a new championship, was a good thing from the beginning.”
But while E1 remains a solid side gig, Munnings isn’t eyeing a further expansion into Formula E, suggesting that it’s Hansen – who raced against F1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat, as well as current Formula E racers Robin Frijns and Stoffel Vandoorne in Formula BMW and Formula Renault – who’s more likely to be tempted.
“We always joke about Timmy doing it because he started in single-seaters and he used to race against some of the guys that are now racing in it,” she says. “I always think he’d be a bit more suited to it than I am, I’ve always been off-road.
“It was an amazing experience and the car felt incredible to drive. I just never delved into the circuit racing scene really, I think the closest I got was with rallycross. As we all know, I probably say yes to everything, so never say never, but I think for now my skillset is probably more on the sand and jumps of the motorsport world.”
And that leaves Extreme E. It’s been a while since the season-opener in Saudi Arabia in the third week of February, and the next race of the season – at a location which will be announced imminently – remains a distant thought too, but Munnings is hugely positive about her Andretti team’s start to the season.
Munnings started the Extreme E season strongly with Andretti back in February. Andrew Ferraro/Extreme E
Munnings and Hansen won the Redemption Race in Round 1 before finishing second in Round 2, with a qualifying heat win in their back pocket, too. It marked a massive turnaround for the team which ended the 2023 campaign with a car-killing crash in the penultimate round, followed by a withdrawal from the season-closer.
“I think we’re feeling like the best we’ve felt in a long time, to be honest,” she says, sounding the most upbeat she has about Extreme E for some time. “There was a really good atmosphere in Saudi, we had a really good performance, everything kind of came together.
“We’ve had the ingredients for it the whole of last year, it was just one of those years for us – there was just lots of little things that weren’t pulling together for a result, so I think to have had a second place and to be very close to first place at the finish line was really cool. We got some good points for the championship. I think it always sets the tone when you start a season like that.
“Obviously coming into the next round, I think we’re feeling good. I’m really enjoying being a part of the championship at the minute.”
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock has been boiling over with intrigue since the start of the year, and in recent weeks, a number of fascinating developments have emerged that nobody wants to touch, much less acknowledge or put …
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship paddock has been boiling over with intrigue since the start of the year, and in recent weeks, a number of fascinating developments have emerged that nobody wants to touch, much less acknowledge or put their name on.
But what’s in play deserves RACER’s first IMSA silly season piece, all due to the seismic shifts taking place in its top hybrid GTP class ahead of 2025.
Let’s start with the biggest one so far, which RACER broke in March on Chip Ganassi Racing and General Motors preparing to split at the end of the season with the IMSA GTP program it runs for Cadillac Racing.
Since the end of the IMSA road for Ganassi and Cadillac will arrive in October, it means the glorious V-Series.Rs are headed to someone else’s house. And which house might that be?
The rumors for months have told the same tale and I don’t question their accuracy: With his new Cadillac relationship and their proposed partnership in Formula 1, Michael Andretti’s name has been mentioned at least a dozen times as someone working to expand his relationship with GM by representing Cadillac in IMSA GTP.
Where the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti-to-Cadillac move was spoken of as being highly likely from January through March, it transitioned to being delivered as a fact by multiple sources leading into and during the Acura Grand Prix at Long Beach. It’s unclear if the deal has reached the point of a wedding ceremony, but at a minimum, engagement rings have been exchanged.
I asked one senior Andretti team leader about it on pit lane at Long Beach, and as expected, they said, “no comment.”
WTRA is said to be planning a two-car Cadillac GTP effort, which would allow a direct transfer of today’s two-car Acura ARX-06 GTP operation to the manufacturer WTR worked with from 2017 to 2020 and won the 2017 IMSA DPi championship and three Rolex 24 At Daytona victories for over that span.
Taylor, specifically, represented GM through its Pontiac and Corvette marques for more than a decade before the switch to Cadillac.
Together, with Andretti’s recent alliance with Cadillac and Taylor’s longstanding relationships with GM, the upcoming union was an easy one to predict. Andretti Cadillac in F1. Wayne Taylor Racing/Andretti Cadillac in IMSA. It makes too much sense to be untrue.
On the manufacturer side, I asked the head of Cadillac Racing’s communications to speak on the subject, and was told, “We’re focused on continuing our strong start to the season and winning the GTP championship. We’ll address 2025 when we have information to share about 2025.”
The obvious follow-up question involves WTRA and its current manufacturer partner, Acura.
Like GM with its Cadillac GTP effort, Acura is also understood to be in the second of a two-year deal with its current service provider, and like GM, Acura has sought proposals from other teams to weigh a possible move.
That recently changed from being a possibility to a necessity with WTRA seeking to leave and align with GM/Cadillac; Acura had to do more than just field inquiries; it’s needed to find a replacement for WTRA.
And the answer there should have been just as easy to identify as the reunion with WTRA and Cadillac.
As Honda’s top team in IndyCar, the Ganassi organization was expected to get the factory Acura deal and be fully aligned under the Honda Racing Corporation US banner that oversees its IMSA and IndyCar programs. But that isn’t happening.
What seemed like an impossibility last year is now in motion as the Meyer Shank Racing, which lost its factory Acura effort at the end of 2023 and exited the series — driven in part by its tire pressure scandal at Daytona — is set to reclaim the effort and make its return to IMSA and the Acura brand in 2025.
Is Meyer Shank Racing set for a return to the Acura GTP fold? Michael Levitt/Motorsport Images
Speaking with an Acura Motorsports representative at Long Beach, they declined to discuss the topic, but did say, “We are committed to the Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti team and look forward to what the rest of the year holds in store for Acura.”
Shank wouldn’t be drawn on the matter, but did offer a polite smile when asked about it last weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.
The IMSA GTP silly season is on fire, and there’s more to come.
Mario Andretti says he was “offended” by comments from Formula 1 about how Andretti Global would not be competitive if it was granted an entry, as well as disrespect over the General Motors partnership. Formula One Management (FOM) stated it was not …
Mario Andretti says he was “offended” by comments from Formula 1 about how Andretti Global would not be competitive if it was granted an entry, as well as disrespect over the General Motors partnership.
Formula One Management (FOM) stated it was not open to giving Andretti a spot on the grid in either 2025 or 2026 at the start of this year, after the FIA had approved the team’s credentials to join the sport. Earlier this month, Andretti opened its Silverstone facility that is building a chassis to current regulations as work continues on the F1 project, and the 1979 world champion says comments that the team wouldn’t be competitive and is underestimating the challenge of racing in F1 were unfair.
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“I was offended, actually,” Andretti told AP at the IndyCar race in Long Beach this weekend. “I don’t think we deserved that, to be honest with you.
“It’s a big investment in the series, and you’d think they’d welcome that. Even the value of the series is more valuable with 11 teams than 10, so I don’t know. Tell us what is really wrong.”
With F1 stating it would look more favorably on the entry in 2028 if GM commits to its power unit project, following its registration as a supplier with the FIA, there have also been comments relating to the appeal of GM partnering with existing teams that have also annoyed Andretti.
“That’s another offensive statement there. We’re the ones that worked it out, and GM said it over and over, ‘Andretti or nothing,’ and then (F1) still tried to take it. There’s an undercurrent there that I don’t understand, quite honestly, but if they want blood, well, I’m ready.”
However, Andretti says he’s likely to get answers to those frustrations when the prospective team meets with F1 at the next round in Miami.
“We only had one meeting with them. That’s a problem. We haven’t had enough. I think that’s why I really welcome our next meeting. You know, let’s sit down. There were some opportunities missed along the way, but we’ve got to look forward, not back.
“I’m remaining hopeful because we never stop working towards this. It was made clear that our work is at pace, and as you can see we’re not just talking. We’re putting brick and mortar together. We’ve shown that with the team that already has a place in Silverstone.
“We’re trying to say ‘We’ll do whatever you ask of us. We’ll do whatever is there. Now, if you think of something, you tell us,’. But they haven’t told us yet except for some excuses like, ‘Oh we don’t want you coming on, we don’t want you to be embarrassed.’
“But we don’t want to embarrass ourselves, and the fact is General Motors has made it so clear that they’re excited about this project. They have a long-term commitment there, and I don’t know what else we can do.”
There won’t be an Andretti team on the Formula 1 grid until at least 2028 after a controversial decision was handed down on Wednesday.
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:
