After years of unsuccessful attempts to enter the F1 grid, Michael Andretti is on the verge of realizing his ultimate dream with only a few nods pending. Should they enter the sport, Andretti will become the second American team on the grid alongside Haas. However, the newest kid on the block believes they will be the only ‘true’ American team in F1, owing to their infrastructure.
While Haas has its roots in America, the team has its bases spread across the world, including England and Italy. As such, Andretti questions the ‘American-ness’ of the team and asserts that once they enter the sport, they will be the only All-American F1 team on the grid, as stated in a report by FormulaPassion.
“They had no infrastructure, they can’t build their own machine . We have to build our own car, and it’s a huge undertaking.”
Given F1 is very demanding and asks its participating teams to build their own cars from scratch, the 61-year-old would be looking to house some of the best mechanics, factories, and machinery, preferably from his own country, to model and develop a car that can quickly challenge the top teams in the sport.
Meanwhile, the Gene Haas-owned team of immense NASCAR fame has been in F1 for over 7 years but hasn’t had much success. Sourcing their powertrains from Ferrari, the team is yet to win their maiden race in the sport. Almost all other parts used by Haas are self-produced and stand nowhere close in comparison to those fabricated by the top teams. Thus, whatever little success the team has seen has come from the part they sourced from outside.
Should Andretti enter F1, fans could witness a new rivalry arch involving Haas
With Haas sitting on the F1 grid as the only American team, Andretti would be itching to enter the sport and challenge the claim. If and when they enter the sport, Andretti’s primary goal would be to oust Haas as soon as they can and assert their dominance over a team they don’t consider to be truly American. Given their current plans, it seems Andretti already has an upper hand in the bout.
The vision of Michael Andretti and Co. is to come up with an All-American team, including the drivers. They want to build the car in America, use an American engine, and have an American driver drive their car, with sources suggesting Colton Herta (Andretti’s IndyCar driver) might fill one of the seats. Apart from the driver, Andretti also boasts of partnerships with General Motors and Cadillac, both of which are American companies, to further bolster their All-American roster.
While the FIA has agreed to the entry of Andretti, the FOM has yet to present its final stance. Though they are hoping for everything to go their way, there is a possibility the commercial rights aspect of the sport might hinder the proceedings and lead to another rejection. Should that be the case, Michael Andretti claims that while he will be disappointed once again, he won’t give up.
