Andretti’s mission of entering F1 has been extremely long-drawn, and as part of their original plans, the American team had entered into a $12,000,000 agreement with Alpine, which ensured that the French outfit would be supplying Andretti with power units. However, amidst uncertainties regarding approval from F1, as per a report by Grandpx.news, according to the interim boss of Alpine, the deal between the two organizations has already expired.
After nearly two years of sustained efforts, Andretti recently received approval to enter F1 from the FIA. However, their entry into the premier class of motorsports is still uncertain since they have to come to an agreement with the FOM regarding the commercial aspects of their entry.
Pretty strong from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Andretti’s battle to get on the #F1 grid…
…do you agree with him? pic.twitter.com/nO0EJki9jF
— The Race (@wearetherace) October 9, 2023
With the existing teams not really happy to welcome a new member onto the grid, it is understood that getting approval from Liberty Media could be a bit harder than the FIA. On top of that, the lapsed deal with Alpine can certainly prove to be a roadblock for Andretti.
Alpine boss reveals why they do not have a deal with Andretti as of now
The initial deal between Alpine and Andretti ensured that the French outfit would be the engine supplier for Andretti when they stepped into F1. However, as per a report from Grandpx.news: Bruno Famin, Alpine’s interim team principal, recently revealed that the deal already expired on the 31st of March.
Famin explained that the deal was dependent on Andretti’s entry into F1, and since the team failed to gain approval back then, the deal had already fallen through. The French engineer said, “We had already made a deal with them – a preliminary contract for the delivery of engines. But that contract expired on March 31 this year.”
📰: Alpine confirms the lapse of the pre-contract agreement with Andretti’s F1 team for customer engines. Originally, this deal acted as a placeholder while Andretti developed its own power unit with GM. Alpine now needs a formal contract and awaits F1’s approval of Andretti’s… pic.twitter.com/kPIdXMktWt
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) October 12, 2023
If Andretti does receive the green light from the FOM and they want to go ahead with their plans surrounding Alpine, they would need to renegotiate and make a brand new deal with the French company. However, in reality, Andretti has a lot of other options available to them as well.
Andretti is spoilt for choice in terms of engine suppliers
With the new power unit regulations coming into play from 2026, F1 has already confirmed that there would be a choice of six engine suppliers for the teams to choose from during the 2026-2030 cycle. This includes the likes of Audi, Red Bull Ford, and Honda, alongside the traditional companies of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Alpine.
Therefore, even if Andretti fails to land a new deal with Alpine ahead of their possible entry into F1, the team will have a huge list to choose from when it comes to choosing their new engine supplier.
