Why F1 rejected Andretti bid to join the grid for 2025, 2026،
Michael Andretti's dream of becoming a Formula One team owner suffered a major blow on Wednesday when the sport's commercial arm rejected Andretti Global's proposal to join the grid in 2025 or 2026. The door was left ajar for that Andretti enters F1 with a General Motors. engine built in 2028, but for a team that claims to be ready to debut next year, four years away will seem like an awfully long wait.
F1's reasons, which were documented in a lengthy statement, boil down to the belief that an 11th team on its own (i.e. without a powertrain manufacturer) would not bring enough value to the sport to justify the upheaval of its addition.
The underlying reasons were a combination of F1's doubts about the competitiveness of Andretti's offer, the fact that it would rely on an existing F1 engine manufacturer being forced into a supply deal until that GM was ready with its own engines, and the belief that “F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around. Part of the statement's conclusion was that F1 was not able to identify “no expected material positive effect” on the sport's financial results as a result of Andretti's addition to the championship in 2025 or 2026.
The series' decision was partly based on Andretti's responses to a series of questions regarding his application set out in what F1 calls its letter of procedure – a document sent to the candidate outlining the application process. Andretti submitted his responses to questions in F1's procedural letter on October 24 but, according to F1, did not take the opportunity to present his case at a proposed in-person meeting on December 12.
F1 analyzed Andretti's proposal by consulting key stakeholders, such as broadcasters, sponsors and circuits, who account for the vast majority of the sport's revenue. He then pointed out that his process had not consulted F1's 10 existing teams, who are known to be against Andretti's arrival for reasons largely of self-interest.
The rival teams' main argument has been that Andretti's arrival would dilute the prize fund derived from F1 revenues and that the existing $200 million anti-dilution fee Andretti would pay upon entry into the sport were set too low to compensate adequately. However, the issues of reward fund dilution and anti-dilution fees (which will likely be increased by the time Andretti has another chance to compete in 2028) were not mentioned in the reasons for Andretti's rejection by the F1.
F1 raises doubts over Andretti's competitiveness
The crux of F1's decision was based on its belief that Andretti would not be competitive if he joined in 2025 or 2026. He said that for an 11th team to bring a significant advantage to the championship and be admitted, she should fight for the podiums. and the race wins. Sports research suggests that the level of results would shake things up in terms of increasing fan engagement and therefore the value of the sport to stakeholders such as broadcasters and tour promoters.
Peeling back the next layer of the onion, there were two main reasons why F1 doubted Andretti's ability to compete: the fact that it would rely on an engine supply deal for the first few years of its existence and the fact that it is expected to build two very different cars to two different sets of regulations in 2025 and 2026, when new rules are introduced.
“We do not think there is any reason for a new applicant to be admitted in 2025 given that this would involve a newbie building two completely different cars in its first two years of existence,” the statement said. F1 press release. “The fact that the plaintiff is proposing to do so gives us reason to question his understanding of the scale of the challenge involved.
“Even if a 2026 entry would not face this specific problem, the fact remains that Formula 1, as the pinnacle of world motorsport, represents a unique technical challenge for manufacturers, of a that the candidate has not found in any other formula or discipline. in which she has already competed, and she proposes to do so based on a compulsory competition [power unit (PU)] supply during the first years of its participation.
“Based on this, we do not believe the candidate would be a competitive participant.”
At first glance, this seems like too harsh an assessment. Six of the ten existing F1 teams currently have engine supply contracts and all ten will have to adapt to F1's new regulations in 2026 – many of which are unlikely to achieve guaranteed podiums or wins.
Andretti has already tested a 60% scaled-down model in Toyota's wind tunnel in Cologne, Germany, to comply with current regulations and insists it would be ready to compete as early as 2025 if accepted. Additionally, if the application was delayed by a year until 2026, Andretti would not need to build a car according to current regulations at all and would then have the same time as all other teams from that point on to develop. a car for the start of the new regulatory era in 2026 (full details of which have yet to be published).
This is where the powertrain argument comes in.
Although six of the existing teams are customers of engine manufacturers, none have entered into such deals by jumping into the sport and demanding an engine, knowing they will move to a factory contract three years later. There is a mechanism in the regulations to ensure that each team in the championship has a supply of power units, whereby the engine manufacturer with the fewest customers is obliged to enter into an agreement with the team which does not have an agreement supply. The rule was introduced when Red Bull was struggling to find an engine supplier in the mid-2010s, to ensure that no team was unable to compete because their rivals were unwilling to offer a deal. supply. For 2025, Renault, which currently only supplies its factory team Alpine, is believed to be the manufacturer in question and in fact had discussions with Andretti about a supply deal before GM was announced as a partner.
Although this means an 11th team could be guaranteed a supply deal under regulations, F1 says any manufacturer working with Andretti would be reluctant to form a close partnership with the team, given that GM is considering joining. in 2028 and could have indirect access. to its intellectual property. Combined with the other difficulties Andretti would face in upgrading, F1 believes a “mandatory” supply deal would make it incredibly difficult for Andretti to compete.
In its conclusion, the F1 press release goes on to say that a mandatory supply agreement would be “detrimental to the prestige and reputation of the championship”.
And as an apparent warning to GM, F1 said: “Going into the sport as a new PU manufacturer is also a huge challenge, which major automakers have faced in the past, and which can take a certain number of times to a constructor. “Years of significant investment to become competitive. GM has the resources and credibility to be more than capable of meeting this challenge, but success is not assured.”
An entry in 2028 still possible
Whether or not you agree with F1's assessment of Andretti's offer, most of the arguments will be harder to apply in 2028, when GM has committed to producing its own engines under its Cadillac brand , thereby removing the need for a mandatory supply agreement. Some concerns about competitiveness can still be raised, but it's hard to imagine stronger proposals to become an 11th team than one that has had over four years to prepare with the help of one of the biggest manufacturers automobiles on the planet.
Although its wording was still uninviting, F1 recognized that a full-fledged Andretti-Cadillac deal could pass the value-added test.
“We would view a request for a team to enter the 2028 championship with a GM powertrain differently, either as a GM factory team or as a GM customer team designing all permitted components in-house.” , indicates the press release. “In this case, there would be additional factors to consider in relation to the value that the candidate would bring to the championship, particularly in relation to bringing a new prestigious [Original Equipment Manufacturer] to sport as a PU supplier.”
It remains to be seen whether Andretti is prepared to wait that long after his latest snub. It's one thing to lead a team and benefit from revenue from sponsorship and prize money to support automotive development, but it's another to invest money into a project for another four years without have the absolute guarantee that you will have a place on the market. grid at the end of it.
