Over the last few weeks, the topic of Andretti potentially entering F1 in 2026 has been all over the news. They’re one of the biggest names in motorsports, and huge in the United States of America, which makes their entry an exciting prospect. However, for certain reasons, it is not going as smoothly as team boss Michael Andretti would have liked it to be.
Plenty of team owners and principals including Mercedes’ CEO Toto Wolff are skeptical about the American outfit joining the grid. They feel that the financial returns that will be brought in aren’t concrete. As a result, Wolff like others is worried about the amount of profit Andretti will eat up.
.@Cadillac @FollowAndretti @GM @FIA @F1 pic.twitter.com/ziVL91FCec
— Mohammed Ben Sulayem (@Ben_Sulayem) January 8, 2023
Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem is disappointed that so many teams are blocking Andretti’s entry into F1. Ben Sulayem admitted that he was actually surprised to see the amount of backlash they are Cadillac is receiving, and he wrote on Twitter that the only way to increase the sport’s diversity is, if more teams join the grid.
Also read: How the Andretti-Cadillac saga signals the death of privateer teams in F1
Michael Andretti labels Toto Wolff and other F1 team owners as selfish
It’s no secret that F1 is a sport that is very money-centric. Running an F1 team requires a lot of money. And to stay in the elite leagues, one has to bring in more than one spends. At the end of the year, the total profit earned by all teams is divided among them. If Andretti wants the green light from the team owners and decision-makers, he has to be sure that he brings in a huge amount of money too.
According to the BBC, Andretti has to pay a sum of $5o0 million at the very least if the wants to enter the sport. This comes despite the fact that he secured the partnership of Cadillac through General Motors, which is a huge name in itself.
🚨 | Michael Andretti on entering F1:
“In Formula 1, the owners look out for themselves – not what is best for the series.
“That’s the difference between President Mohammad’s position and the team owner’s position.”
— Slipstream (@SlipstreamDRS) January 10, 2023
As for the team owners, Andretti called them selfish. He insisted that they only do what is best for their respective teams. And not what is good for the entire sport. However, he praised Ben Sulayem and thanked him for the public support shown.
“In Formula 1, the owners look out for themselves. Not what is best for the series,” he said as quoted by Forbes. “That’s the difference between President Mohammad’s position and the team owner’s position.”
Also read: Andretti-Cadillac have to reportedly pay $500-$600 million to enter F1 in 2026
