Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, discussed the possibility of Andretti joining Formula 1 during pre-season testing in Bahrain. He suggested that Andretti could enter the sport by taking over an existing team, rather than being a new 11th entry. The existing teams in F1 initially opposed the idea of welcoming a new team, as they were concerned about sharing the financial benefits they had gained after the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Formula One Management (FOM) ultimately rejected Andretti’s proposal, citing a lack of sufficient value compared to what F1 would bring to the team. However, Horner emphasized that the opportunity still exists for Andretti to negotiate the acquisition of an existing franchise or team if they can reach commercial terms. Andretti owner Michael Andretti has previously explored this approach, engaging in negotiations with Sauber owner Finn Rausing in 2021. Although those negotiations stalled, Andretti may now consider targeting a team like Haas, which currently has limited prospects in terms of performance and may be more open to a financial partnership.
Unfortunately, for now, owner Gene Haas is hesitant to part with his valuable asset and believes that the recent change in Team Principal is sufficient to capitalize on the mechanical parts passed on by Ferrari.
However, if Andretti’s entry had been accepted, it is widely understood that they would initially operate with a customer engine agreement with Alpine until their Cadillac power unit was fully operational.
When asked about this matter on several occasions, Alpine Team Principal Bruno Famin consistently regarded it as a closed topic after the FOM’s decision.
Famin expressed his perspective during Thursday’s press conference, stating, “I believe it is the responsibility of Formula 1 to assess and analyze the situation, determining whether an 11th team can truly contribute sufficient value to the championship. This is their championship, and we simply acknowledge their decision.”
McLaren competes against Andretti in both IndyCar and Extreme E, and CEO Zak Brown echoed Famin’s comments, emphasizing that the focus now is not on expanding the F1 grid but rather on concentrating on the next season.
Brown added, “I agree with what Bruno [Famin] said. The decision was made by Formula 1, based on their criteria. Now, speaking for myself and my colleagues, we are fully committed to our own racing teams and moving forward with the season.”
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