Michael Andretti puts forth lofty ambitions for team’s F1 project

Andretti's entry into Formula 1 has been met with considerable resistance and is not yet confirmed. But owner Michael Andretti is aiming high for the future.

Michael Andretti puts forth lofty ambitions for team’s F1 project

Michael Andretti

Andretti are one of the biggest names in Motorsport, especially in the USA. They have teams in the IMSA championship, IndyCar, Indy NXT (Lights), Formula E, and Extreme E, in addition to competing in the Supercars championship. But one thing is missing from their roster – Formula 1, which as the pinnacle of motorsport, would be their crown jewel.

Unfortunately, their bid has been met with a lot of resistance. The $200M entry fee, as set out in the Concorde Agreement, is apparently considered not enough to cover the revenue dilution. Recent reports indicate that the teams may want as much as $700M. Other concerns include General Motors (and Cadillac’s) involvement being considered a ‘badging exercise’. In addition to these two issues, a strong majority of F1 teams are reportedly against Andretti’s F1 entry.

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But Michael Andretti, owner of Andretti Autosport, is very ‘serious’ about the project. He has previously expressed his displeasure at the supposed ‘greed’ of Formula 1 teams, and refuted claims of the GM involvement being a ‘badging exercise’. In the same interview with Forbes, he expanded on what Andretti hope to achieve in Formula 1, and by when. Another ‘entrant’, Audi, (who will enter through Sauber), want to win races by their third season [2028]. Andretti, on the other hand, want to compete for the title by around the turn of the decade (depending on their entry’s timeline).

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Andretti said: “We are coming in, in a serious way. It will take a long time to get there, but eventually, we want to be one of the top teams in Formula One. Our end goal is to be competing for the World Championship five or six years down the road. We are doing this just to be there. Who cares about that? We want to be competing and race against the best in the world. We aren’t underestimating that. It will be a long, building process, but we have a good plan to eventually get us there.”

Read More: ‘It’s all about greed,’ Michael Andretti fires back at detractors of F1 bid

Michael Andretti ‘bullish’ about F1 entry chances

Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti

There has been considerable opposition to Andretti’s prospective entry into Formula 1. Not just now, but it’s been the same way for quite some time now. Last year, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff had given an interview where he pointed out he did not see what Andretti bring to the table [as an 11th team]. Instead, he pointed out that if an OEM [such as Audi or Porsche] that can demonstrate its value, wants to join F1, then it’s a ‘totally different value proposition’. But now, Andretti have an OEM [Original Equipment Manufacturer] behind them with the General Motors-Cadillac backing.

Michael Andretti says that the team are ‘very bullish’, and feels they are in a good position to secure the entry: “We check all the boxes. The only box we didn’t have checked when we were working on our entry was, we didn’t have an OEM behind us, but now we have GM and Cadillac behind us. They are going to bring a lot to the party to help us get a race car on track. We are very bullish at this moment. There is still a long way to go, and we are willing to follow every procedure that needs to be done. We are in a good position for it.”

While most F1 teams seem opposed to them getting into the sport, Andretti also have to convince the FIA first. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem spoke positively about the prospective bid on Twitter, which is a positive sign. But as Michael Andretti pointed out, there is ‘still a long way to go’.

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