Despite repeatedly facing rejection from Formula One Management to enter F1 as an eleventh team, Andretti have not lost hope. However, recent remarks from Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei could end all hopes for the American outfit.
Mario Andretti has recently revealed how the representative of F1’s owner made it clear that he will do “everything” in his potential to deny entry to the American outfit. Maffei’s remarks came at a time when Mario Andretti was holding talks with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
As quoted by racefans.net, Maffei interrupted their conversation and said, “Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything in my power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1“. Soon after making these remarks, Mario revealed that Maffei walked away.
While Maffei’s comment was short, it was more than enough to shake Mario Andretti. “I could not believe that. That one really floored me“, revealed Andretti.
He then explained, “We’re talking about business. I didn’t know it was something so personal. That was really — oh, my goodness. I could not believe it. It was just like a bullet through my heart“. If Andretti are unable to enter F1 now, it would be a huge blow to them as they have already made investments in excess of a whopping $200 million.
Andretti has already invested $200m to set up their base in Silverstone
Similarly to most F1 teams, Andretti have also made a substantial investment to set up their base in the UK. They have opened a 90-acre factory in Silverstone, which will serve as the team’s headquarters for not only F1 but also all the other forms of motorsports Andretti competes in.
Moreover, they have also hired approximately 80 people recently to work from their new headquarters in Silverstone. That is not it, as Andretti also successfully signed former FOM chief technical officer Pat Symonds to join their team in 2025.
Symonds’ signing is interesting as he worked for the same organization that has so far denied Andretti entry. Symonds’ signing could be key to helping Andretti enter F1 in the future as he was responsible for devising F1’s new regulations from the 2026 season onwards.
Furthermore, F1 is also facing immense pressure from US lawmakers to grant Andretti entry. As many as six senators raised concerns about the FOM to the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
