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Mario Andretti will be hoping for more than two teams as contenders for the 2023 F1 title battle.
The former world champion feels midfield teams such as McLaren and Aston Martin would be a welcome sight in the mix at the front of the pack.
Speaking to German broadcaster RTL, Andretti said:
“You have to assume that they fight back as hard as they always have.”
He added:
“Can you imagine if we had three teams fighting hard and every now and then a fourth team like McLaren sticks its nose in?”
Hoping for more than two teams contesting the title battle, Andretti posed a hypothetical where a team like McLaren joins the fight with Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari.
The former F1 world champion also believes Mercedes will fight back and become title contenders again. He also believes a team like Aston Martin has the resources to be competitive too, especially with their driver lineup featuring Fernando Alonso.
Commenting on another midfield player, Aston Martin, Andretti said:
“If they have their factory and all that together, besides, Fernando Alonso is there now.”
Mario Andretti reveals it will take time before they know the result of their F1 bid
With the latest news from the Andretti camp being their collaboration with General Motors and Cadillac for their F1 team bid, it is now in due course for the internal process before Andretti Global can feature on the grid. The former world champion revealed that they are cooperating with the selection process of the FIA, which will take a few months.
When asked about their F1 bid, Andretti told Italian publication Auto Sprint:
"The truth is that we are structuring the team day by day, as if the green light is already there. A programme like this is very complex, so we have to keep moving forward, even if not at top speed, but to put key names under contract we need certainties, so from that point of view we are still on hold."
"Let’s say we could reasonably have an answer within a couple of months."
Andretti claims it was the FIA president who urged them to tie up with a automotive manufacturer to strengthen their F1 bid. He added:
"He was the one who advised us to look for a partnership with a big manufacturer to give more strength and depth to our project. That’s where the partnership with Cadillac came from, which means a community of intent with General Motors."
"Money, money… But what money? How much does a big team’s annual revenue go down if we come in? In a situation of exponential growth in Formula 1, to see an American team with a deep-rooted identity in the racing world would be extremely positive for everyone."
According to the 1978 F1 world champion, it was President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s suggestion that made them tie up with Cadillac and General Motors.
However, Andretti questioned how their entry as a team will reduce the revenue of other teams or any top team on the grid. They faced resistance from existing teams and the former world champion had locked horns with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, who felt new teams needed to add value to the sport.
Their serious interest as an American team with Motorsport DNA has made them an exciting prospect as a new team.
