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Andretti's plea to enter F1 in the 2025 or 2026 season has been rejected by the sport's governing body on commercial grounds ahead of the upcoming season.
Andretti's push to join Formula 1 was led by Michael Andretti and 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti. They reportedly partnered with Cadillac to join the grid as the 11th team. Although the entry of a new team was permitted by the regulations, many existing teams on the grid reportedly opposed having another team because it could mean the prize pool splitting even further.
However, the FIA approved their plea in 2023 to join the F1 grid, and the rest of the decision was left to Formula One Management, who have now rejected the plea.
Fans online were not pleased with the decision as they ranted on social media. Many blamed F1 for sticking to a monopoly and called it a "joke." One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Formula 1 is a joke."
Another user wrote:
"F1 is an absolute monopoly!"
Some fans are waiting for the sport to justify rejecting the team's application.
"Can't wait to see what ridiculous justification they use"
Others felt that one of the reasons for the rejection was the commercial aspect of F1.
Some even felt that it would be justified for Andretti to go ahead and buy Haas, replacing them on the grid.
F1 believes Andretti would not be a competitive addition to the grid
There are several reasons that Formula One Management has quoted to justify the rejection of the American team's plea to join the grid.
One of the big reasons that F1 quoted was the fact that the team would not have their own PU manufacturer initially. FOM feels that having its own power unit would have increased the credibility of its application.
Formula One Management also stated that it prefers the addition of an eleventh team on the grid if it were competitive enough to challenge for victories and podiums. They do not believe that Andretti would be competitive enough, as their statement read:
"Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship."
"The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant."
Adding to the same, F1 stated that although the name "Andretti" is recognized amongst fans, their addition on the grid would not bring value to the sport. This added a more commercial aspect to the rejection of the application. F1 also stated that no consultation was taken from any of the existing teams on the grid for their decision.
Other reasons include the fact that 2025 will be the final year with the current regulations and if a new constructor is to join the grid, it would be hard to estimate if they would be able to make two completely different cars with new regulations within a year.
Despite the current rejection, F1 has given them a chance to join the grid in the 2028 season with a General Motors power unit. This would add another OEM to the grid, giving them more credibility.
