Andretti Cadillac had hopes for a recent Formula 1 entry when it was approved by the FIA last year, but now, they’ve run into a roadblock — while the FIA wants them in Formula 1, Formula 1 itself does not.
Formula 1 Management, or FOM for short, rejected Andretti’s bid to join the sport in either 2025 or 2026, per Chris Medland of RACER. FOM did, however, leave the door open for a 2028 entry when General Motors plans to enter the sport as a power unit manufacturer. That, however, would be two years into new regulations for Formula 1.
F1’s statement seemed to imply numerous things they deemed wrong with Andretti’s bid. Not only did FOM say that they did not think Andretti’s brand would be beneficial to F1, but they also did not seem to think Andretti would be competitive enough for the sport.
The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant, [Andretti Formula Racing, LLC], would be a competitive participant,” F1 said Wednesday.
BREAKING: F1 has rejected Andretti's bid to join the grid in 2025 or 2026, BUT says it "would look differently on an application" for 2028 alongside General Motors' planned power unit entry #F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) January 31, 2024
Andretti, of course, responded to the news, and it appears they don’t plan to take it without a fight. Andretti Cadillac said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees” with the decision and that it plans to continue developing its Formula 1 program.
Andretti Cadillac says it “has reviewed the information Formula One Management Limited has shared and strongly disagree with its contents”.
Says both brands have been successful in global motorsport and work continues to prepare for an F1 entry #F1
— Chris Medland (@ChrisMedlandF1) January 31, 2024
What happens next is unclear, but there is a possibility that the matter could be resolved in court. Andretti has met the requirements of FOM’s Concorde Agreement between the FIA and FOM signed in 2021, which allows for up to 12 teams with a $200 million entry fee for the series. In theory, Andretti could bring the issue to court as a potential anti-competition violation.
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