The president of the body that oversees Formula 1 racing has stated that Andretti would be better off purchasing an already-existing team than attempting to found their own.
Liberty Media, the company that has the commercial rights to Formula One, has rejected Andretti’s proposal to join the sport in 2025 or 2026, but they have kept it open for an entry in 2028.
The FIA president, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who had before supported Andretti’s candidacy, stated that while he was in favor of more teams, he believed that quantity was not as important as quality.
“I would advise them to go and buy another team, not to come as the 11th team,” Ben Sulayem remarked.
“I think it’s time to rotate certain teams. Which is superior? To have 10 strong teams or 11 teams as a number?
“I still think that more teams ought to be here. but none of the teams. the appropriate groups.”
Although Ben Sulayem did not specify which teams he was talking about, Alpine and Haas are the front-runners for a sale.
Senior F1 sources, however, claim that American businessman Gene Haas and Renault, the owners of Alpine, have no intention of selling.
Andretti’s proposal has been divisive for a while.
Many senior officials in Formula One have taken offense at owner Michael Andretti’s relentless pursuit of an entry. Andretti is the son of US racing legend Mario Andretti and a former IndyCar and F1 driver.
The current dispute centers on a six US senators’ desire to launch an antitrust investigation against Formula One (F1) for rejecting Andretti’s bid.
General Motors, a US automaker, has backed Andretti’s request and stated that it plans to develop its own engine in order to compete in 2028.
“As long as they are OEMs [car manufacturers],” Ben Sulayem expressed his “absolute confidence” that Formula 1 Management and Liberty would “love” to see additional teams on the grid.
