Tag: Michael Andretti

Andretti officially opens F1 facility at Silverstone

Andretti Global has officially opened its Formula 1 facility at Silverstone, as it continues preparations for a potential entry in 2026. The 48,000 square foot facility is based at the Silverstone Park technology and business park at the home of the …

Andretti Global has officially opened its Formula 1 facility at Silverstone, as it continues preparations for a potential entry in 2026.

The 48,000 square foot facility is based at the Silverstone Park technology and business park at the home of the British Grand Prix, and has a current workforce of around 80 people designing and developing a car that could race in 2026. The new building was opened by Michael and Mario Andretti alongside Andretti Global partner Dan Towriss and team president J-F Thormann.

At present, Andretti is working on a chassis for current regulations as it develops its facilities, with the Silverstone base housing “manufacturing facilities, including pattern, model and machine shops, ADM, electronics, R&D and additional office and meeting facilities.” The Silverstone factory will work alongside the main site in Indiana and the organization’s Formula E base in Banbury.

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“We have said that our work continues at pace; this new facility embodies that work,” Michael Andretti said. “While we plan to have an all-American team, with the car assembled in the U.S., having a European base is a great way to attract the best in F1 talent and install state of the art machinery.

“I want to see integration between all the bases, between the U.S. and Silverstone, as we move forward — but that is already happening today, with some really great collaboration on all fronts.

“There is literally hundreds of years of experience in this Silverstone building. Every person here knows what they are doing and is capable of building a very competitive race car. We’re excited by this very unique opportunity as we move forward.”

Andretti says the Silverstone facility will be completed in phases “according to commercial and sporting needs and workforce requirements,” with the F1 team yet to secure an entry. Formula One Management (FOM) rejected Andretti’s bid to join the grid by 2026 earlier this year, but stated it would be open to a 2028 entry when General Motors has stated its intention to produce an F1 power unit.

Despite that announcement from FOM, RACER understands the FIA is still working with Andretti on its plans, having assessed its financial and technical capabilities to be sufficient for an entry.

Formula 1 officially rejects Andretti bid for entry in 2025-26

Andretti responded to the news by asserting it “strongly disagrees” with the decision and that it is continuing development of its F1 program.

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.

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.

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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Andretti answers ‘buy a team’ advice for F1 entry: ‘No one is selling’

Michael Andretti has said his organization has tried to purchase an existing Formula 1 team but concluded “nobody’s selling” after speaking with all of them. Andretti’s comments came after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said at last week’s British Grand …

Michael Andretti has said his organization has tried to purchase an existing Formula 1 team but concluded “nobody’s selling” after speaking with all of them.

Andretti’s comments came after Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said at last week’s British Grand Prix that prospective new entrants should “buy a team” rather than entering as a new, 11th team on the grid. But Andretti, who is attempting to enter F1 in partnership with General Motors and its Cadillac brand, says that option is off the table because nobody is interested in selling.

“We’ve tried — nobody’s interested, nobody’s selling,” Andretti (pictured above) told media, including RACER, at last weekend’s Extreme E Island X Prix in Sardinia. “I mean, we’ve been to every single team. They keep saying, ‘Well, buy a team’ (but) nobody wants to sell.

“You go there and they’re not even interested in talking. So yeah, I’ve been there, done that — not happening.”

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Andretti previously attempted to buy the Sauber team in 2021 only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour. The Swiss-based team will instead come under Audi control ahead of the German brand’s entry in 2026.

Andretti played down suggestions that F1’s established teams were disrespecting the Andretti name, saying “I don’t really pay attention to that,” and admitted that he does understand why they are playing hardball with Andretti and other potential new entrants.

“Everybody has their own reasons why they’re doing things. They’re trying to protect their own interests, which you can’t blame them,” Andretti said. “You know, I said things before, I probably used the wrong word — I shouldn’t have said ‘greed’ but everybody’s been looking out for themselves.

“When I said that, I got criticized because I said ‘greed’, but if I was in their situation, I’d probably do the same thing. So I don’t blame the teams. They all are going to look at it for themselves, because that’s what they need to do to be competitive.

“So they’ve got to make sure that they protect that and I understand that’s what they’re trying to do. But in the end, they’re not going to be the ones that make the decision. It’s going to be up to the series and the FIA to decide if it’s the right individual.”

Andretti expects a decision from the FIA “probably closer to the end of the month,” and is confident of his team’s chances, adding, “we’re hoping for a positive decision.”

“I feel good. I mean, I we checked every box,” he said. “I feel good, but you know, feeling good and reality are always two different things.

“We just have to wait and see what happens. I think we have everything we need to go in and be competitive and be respectful and add to the series. That’s what we feel.”

Andretti planning European feeder series program

Michael Andretti says his ongoing ambition to bring Andretti Global to the Formula 1 grid is part of a multi-tier plan that would replicate one of his greatest success stories in North America. Through the Indiana-based Andretti Autosport team, the …

Michael Andretti says his ongoing ambition to bring Andretti Global to the Formula 1 grid is part of a multi-tier plan that would replicate one of his greatest success stories in North America.

Through the Indiana-based Andretti Autosport team, the 1991 CART IndyCar Series champion has been among the most prolific entrants in junior open-wheel racing, earning multiple drivers’ and teams’ titles in the USF Championships presented by Cooper Tires and Indy NXT by Firestone.

If Andretti Global is granted entry to F1, he says a new European training ladder would be established using the formula he’s developed to bring the likes of Colton Herta, Pato O’Ward, Kyle Kirkwood and countless others up the ladder to IndyCar.

“We would set up shop over in England where we’re going to have the engineering shop for the F1 team,” Andretti told RACER. “If the F1 deal comes through, I want to do Formula 3 and Formula 2 as well. I want to be in control of bringing our drivers up through the system, because then you know what kind of equipment they have and how they’re being treated.”

While up-and-comers like Oscar Piastri have shone in F2, Andretti feels his team’s approach could more effectively spotlight emerging talent. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images

One of the difficult parts of evaluating next-generation talent comes with understanding the advantages or hinderances a driver experiences within the various teams in open-wheel training categories. As he’s accomplished in USF and NXT, Andretti would like to remove those questions by creating an internal pipeline of his own making.

“It’s hard to judge the drivers coming up through the ranks over there,” Andretti added. “Because if somebody’s got a big pocketbook, they get better treatment than a guy that’s got more talent, but that’s not how we do things in our teams. So that’s a goal I want to set up over there.”

Winners of three of the last four Indy NXT (formerly Indy Lights) championships, Andretti fields four entries this season for returning NXT race winner Hunter McElrea from New Zealand, reigning USF Pro 2000 champion Louis Foster from England, triple W Series champion Jamie Chadwick from the UK, and Ireland’s James Roe.

‘Four cars, one team’ key to Andretti IndyCar resurgence

As one person within the organization described it, Andretti Autosport’s fractured 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season was a case of “four cars, four teams.” There were positives that took place amid the disappointments as Andretti managed to earn two …

As one person within the organization described it, Andretti Autosport’s fractured 2022 NTT IndyCar Series season was a case of “four cars, four teams.”

There were positives that took place amid the disappointments as Andretti managed to earn two wins, but as a whole, the proud program lost its way and struggled to find the cohesion needed to extract the most from its drivers and staff. The outgoing Alexander Rossi would close his tenure at Andretti as its leading performer, but neither the team nor the Californian were pleased with their run to ninth in the championship. The rest of Andretti’s entries closed the year in 10th, 13th and 23rd, which spoke to the competitive hardships that were encountered.

Locked out of title contention by an armada of Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren drivers, Andretti Autosport went into the offseason with an overhaul in mind, but not in the traditional sense.

Following a disappointing season, it’s common for a team to make strong personnel changes by severing ties with managers, engineers, mechanics and drivers as it searches for new or different faces to address its shortcomings. Throwing big dollars at ambitious engineering R&D projects to find better or more consistent speed is another common practice for such a team, and yet, Andretti Autosport chose an altogether different strategy.

It didn’t tear up the foundation and go on a vast hiring spree; Andretti’s early success story in 2023 — the root of its year-to-year rise — can be found in turning inward and tuning the existing operation to perform as “four cars, one team.”

“It’s true,” Andretti told RACER. “It’s all about people, and it’s not rocket science. You get the best people and then you give them the equipment, give them the resources to do their job. But the other thing with people is personality, right?”

It’s here where Andretti Autosport’s greatest strides have been made as shifting responsibilities from one person to another — even moving race strategists between cars — were done in the name of improving chemistry, bettering a department, or amplifying an individual in some capacity. By moving people or duties around to suit specific areas of expertise, Andretti Autosport’s IndyCar team stepped into the new season as an optimized version of itself and the strong results only confirm its growth.

“Sometimes it becomes a little bit of a chess piece; this guy works better with this guy or that guy, and that sort of thing,” Andretti said of the organizational shuffle. “And we do a lot of that. We just looked at all our weaknesses from last year, in the last couple years, and we really put our heads down to attack those weaknesses.”

Andretti credits renewed focus on pit stop execution as another significant element of his team’s turnaround. Chris Jones/Penske Entertainment

Going beyond the interpersonal composition of the team which has unlocked more speed, Andretti and the rest of the leaders singled out another important area to improve that’s been playing to their favor.

“A big one was pit​ ​stops,” he said. “If you look at the results now, we’re in the top five all the time. We’ve really worked on that, because last year, we had fast cars and a lot of times we gave it away in the pits. So we’ve talked about that and the guys have been great. They’re all into it, the training and techniques. It’s really paid off.”

Smiles were often in short supply last year under the Andretti tent. That’s completely changed as they’ve been holding firm to the “four cars, one team” mantra.

“You’ve got to make everybody buy into it, and everybody has,” Andretti said. “I also think that comes back to the results. You’re always wondering where you are, where you stand. Then after the first race, we were all pretty excited and felt like we fixed a lot of problems. And so everybody had a positive vibe, and it was hard to keep smiles off our faces through Long Beach. You know, with all the bad luck we had before, when you finally get past that and put some extra steps on everybody, it feels good.”​

LBGP polesitter Kirkwood on Andretti Autosport – ‘It’s like they’ve become my family’

Michael Andretti rode away from the Long Beach media center with a giant smile on his face after Kyle Kirkwood, in his third NTT IndyCar Series race for the team, clinched pole position for the Acura Grand Prix with the No. 27 Andretti Autosport …

Michael Andretti rode away from the Long Beach media center with a giant smile on his face after Kyle Kirkwood, in his third NTT IndyCar Series race for the team, clinched pole position for the Acura Grand Prix with the No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise for those who’ve followed the IndyCar sophomore from Florida who tore through the USF Championships presented by Cooper Tires, winning three straight titles on the way to spending his rookie season last year with A.J. Foyt Racing. Kirkwood had a rough introduction to the big leagues, but with his shift back to Andretti Autosport where he won the Indy Lights title in 2021, it’s been a homecoming in all the best ways.

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Fast throughout pre-season testing and at the opening round at St. Petersburg, Kirkwood’s been fast in the No. 27 Honda, but has been a lightning rod for misfortune. With his pole, there’s a new feeling that the bad early days of the new season might be in the rearview mirror.

“We’ve had just a spell of bad luck,” Kirkwood told RACER. “And there’s been some unfortunate things that happened, so it’s kind of like now we’ve got the monkey off our back. I’m ecstatic for the team. We’ve been working in such a good direction with me, (race engineer) Jeremy Milless, (race strategist) Bryan (Herta), and all the crew members. I feel like we’ve gotten into a really good spot now.”

Kirkwood says the warm atmosphere within the No. 27 Andretti program is a big reason for the change of fortunes.

“It’s like they’ve become my family,” he added. “And that’s something that’s so important in racing, right? And so regardless of what happens, I’m always happy with them because we’re having a good time or joking around. Even when we were under the red flag, we’re joking around on the intercom. So it’s been a lot of fun and it just makes it that much sweeter to do it with people that you really enjoy.”

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See 3 Andretti family generations lead 2020 Indy 500 field to green

A special moment for the Andretti family.

The Andretti family is racing royalty, and the latest piece of Indianapolis 500 history a member of it made was last weekend when Marco Andretti won the pole for Sunday’s race at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This marked the first time in 33 years that a member of the Andretti family won the Indy 500 pole, dating back to legendary racer Mario Andretti’s 1987 pole.

But with 33-year-old Marco out front ahead of the rest of the 2020 Indy 500 field, Mario, his grandfather, and Michael, his father and Andretti Autosport team owner, joined him before the green flag.

This awesome moment celebrating the family and its impact on Indy 500 history was the first time three generations of the Andretti family turned laps together around the 2.5-mile track. And 80-year-old Mario drove the two-seater ride, while Michael was in the backseat.

Via IndyCar:

“I’m one of the few that can say I’ve been teammates with both my father and my son – and now to have the opportunity for all three of us to be on track together, on Race Day at IMS, is really special,” Michael Andretti said. “Dad and I are really excited to do this together, but we’re still fighting about who’s going to drive.”

And, as Mario noted before race day, he was not about to let 57-year-old Michael drive.

Since Mario won the 1969 Indy 500, no member of the Andretti family has returned to Victory Lane in one of the greatest motor sports events in the world. Michael had 42 wins in his career behind the wheel, but never won the Indy 500, despite leading 431 total laps — more than any other Indy 500 participant without ultimately winning it.

Marco nearly won the 2006 Indy 500 as 19-year-old rookie, but at the last second, Sam Hornish Jr. passed him and took the checkered flag. Most recently, he had a poor performance in the 2019 Indy 500 and finished 26th.

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