The Andretti’s are refusing to give up on their pursuit of their Formula 1 dream. The American motorsport giants have never come as close to it as they did after the go-ahead from the FIA. However, with their entry blocked by the FOM, they are back to square one. Now, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem suggests that Andretti Global return to its original plan. This suggestion is criticized by F1 journalist Joe Saward, who hints at an ulterior motive.
In his latest column, Saward highlights, “FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who started this whole kerfuffle by agreeing to open the entry process and agreed to give Andretti half an entry, has now come out and said that the team should buy an existing operation. He wants to be re-elected as FIA President in 2025, so he is now busy putting out the fires he has started since he took on the job.”
The British journalist believes that Andretti buying their way into the circus with an existing team will be an easy option. There are a few teams on the grid that might be open for sale or a joint venture. However, because of the sport’s skyrocketing popularity, the market value of the teams has increased significantly. In lieu of that, exercising the option of buying or investing will come at a considerable cost. However, a change of course, as suggested by the FIA President, might not be necessary if the US government intervenes.
US senators pushing to open an investigation into F1’s rejection of the Andretti bid
F1 rejected Andretti Global’s bid for an outright entry as a stand-alone team in 2025 or 2026. The sport did not feel that the American team would add to the sport’s value and suggested they were not ready because the bid was not competitive enough. However, F1 threw them a lifeline by claiming the door is still open for 2028 under one condition.
The one condition is that Andretti can enter with their partners General Motors as the engine manufacturer. However, this explanation wasn’t convincing enough for the Americans and a few US senators. According to a report by NBC News, influential US senators are calling on the Biden administration to investigate FOM’s decision to reject the bid.
The politicians are suggesting that the sport may be violating American antitrust law as it grows its US fan base. Furthermore, they added that the sport might be acting on behalf of the already established foreign automakers.
No investigation into the matter has been opened yet. However, if the senators keep applying pressure, Andretti’s chances might be boosted soon.
