Update 01/31/2024 5:00 p.m.: Cadillac got back to us with the following statement: “Andretti Cadillac has reviewed the information Formula One Management Limited has shared and strongly disagree with its contents. Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsports organizations committed to placing a genuine American works team in F1, competing alongside the world’s best. We are proud of the significant progress we have already made on developing a highly competitive car and power unit with an experienced team behind it, and our work continues at pace. Andretti Cadillac would also like to acknowledge and thank the fans who have expressed their support.”
American racing fans excited at the prospect of another American team joining the Formula One grid will be disappointed to learn that Andretti Global’s bid to join the grid in 2025 or 2026 has been denied. However, there may still be a glimmer of hope.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, in and of itself, provide value to the Championship,” F1 said in a statement. “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.”
F1 also cited an expected lack of competitiveness, a lack of commercial value, and other factors as reasons for its decision to deny the team’s application.
Read: Andretti Cadillac Already Developing F1 Car, Despite Not Being Approved Yet
The decision follows an earlier announcement from F1’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), saying that the team met its standards for success, and that it should be considered for inclusion on the F1 grid.
However, the final authority to add a team to the grid ultimately belonged to the sport itself, and growing discord between it and its governing body suggested that Andretti’s addition to the grid was anything but a sure thing, despite the team’s efforts to get a running start.
It is not yet clear how Andretti will react to the denial, and whether it will pursue legal recourse. However, in its decision, F1 left a window of opportunity open for the team led by Michael Andretti to join the grid at a later date.
Although the sport said that the Andretti name alone wasn’t big enough to offer F1 extra prestige, it “would look differently” on an application in 2028. That’s when Andretti’s supply deal with Cadillac would kick in, and the American automaker would start making power units for the team.
“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 (original equipment manufacturer) to the sport as a PU supplier,” said F1.
The sport may have ulterior motives in delaying Andretti’s entry into the sport, though. If it had to wait until 2028, the Andretti Cadillac would likely have to pay much more than the current $200 million to join the series.
F1 is in the midst of updating the rules for the entry fee, and feels that its growing brand-recognition makes a spot on its grid worth much more. For the other teams, the extra cash may soften the blow of splitting profits with an 11th team.
