SUMMARY
- F1 rejects Andretti's bid to enter the sport in 2025 and 2026.
- F1 thinks Andretti could stand a better chance if they apply with GM for the 2028 season.
Andretti Motorsport has been trying to make its way into Formula 1 for a long time. They had submitted bids to enter the sport in 2025 and 2026. Now we have finally gotten an answer from F1 and it does not look like the American team will be a part of the sport any time soon.
After submitting their bid to enter the sport, they got approval from the FIA. However, Formula 1 and Liberty Media have had a different opinion on the team joining in 2025 or 2026. The multi-billion-dollar empire has rejected Andretti’s bid to enter F1.
Liberty Media doesn’t think Andretti has a global value
As soon as the announcement was made that Andretti’s bid was not accepted, there were enraged fans all around the world. This came at a time when Liberty Media was already facing a lot of criticism for the way they were handling the sport.
F1 said they will not be accepting Andretti’s bid for the 2025 or 2026 season but will consider the bid for the 2028 season which has not been applied by Andretti yet.
F1 said it 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.
⚠️ | Formula 1 invited Andretti to talk about its application at the F1 offices on December 12.
Andretti didn’t accept the invitation.#F1 pic.twitter.com/7Sn1BEUPKv
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) January 31, 2024
“In this case, there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the applicant would bring to the championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM [car manufacturer] to the sport as a PU [engine] supplier.”
A few weeks ago, Andretti struck a deal to partner with Cadilac from 2028. F1 thinks that Andretti’s sole value is not enough for the sport. However, Andretti’s value along with Cadilac which is owned by GM (General Motors) would look more valuable on their application.
The FIA accepted the bid as Andretti met all the requirements to join the sport. However, this does not influence F1’s decision. Liberty Media had to evaluate what sort of value Andretti would be bringing along with them. After all a 11th team will cost more for the rest of the teams and F1. Hence, it would not make sense unless they bring value with them.
All you need to know about Andretti’s partnership with GM
Back in November 2023, Andretti announced their partnership with GM’s Cadilac brand. The agreement would welcome GM as Andretti’s engine supplier. However, GM would only start their supply in 2028. This meant that even if Andretti had gotten into F1, they would have had to find an engine partner for just 2 years. Considering that it would be a short partnership, no engine supplier would have gone for this deal.
It was agreed that GM would supply engines for Andretti from the 2028 season. The Cadilac owners made it clear that they wish to enter Formula 1 only with Andretti.
“You can’t just join our club now when everything’s going well” 🏆
Martin Brundle reacts to Andretti being rejected from joining the F1 grid 💭 pic.twitter.com/A3LafUPEJs
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) January 31, 2024
Although Andretti’s bid to enter in 2026 was rejected, it does not affect their partnership with GM. The American team can still look to enter F1 for the 2028 season. By that time, they would have a loyal and trusted engine partner with GM.
F1 thinks that Andretti’s bid along with GM will be more valuable for the sport. GM owns multiple brands such as Cadilac, Chevrolet, GMC, and several other subsidiaries. Given that GM has a much larger customer base than Andretti, F1 thinks 2028 will be more probable for Andretti. Let’s wait and see if they apply to enter the sport in 2028 once again.
