F1 bosses have rejected Andretti and Cadillac's bid to form an eleventh F1 team in 2026. A few days earlier, Andretti proudly shared that they were working on a test car in the wind tunnel. F1 did not mince its words in rejecting Andretti-Cadillac. Andretti does not agree with those statements.
“Our assessment process has shown that the presence of an eleventh team in itself would not add value to the championship. The most important way a newcomer can add value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant [Andretti] would be a competitive participant,” read a statement from F1. Ouch, and that's just the beginning.
Andretti-Cadillac is not ready for it, F1 believes
Andretti and Cadillac planned to build two different cars: one for 2025 and one for 2026. “We do not believe there is a basis for admitting a new candidate in 2025, as this would mean an entry-level entrant in the first built two completely different cars in two years of its existence,” writes the F1 management. The bosses think Andretti doesn't realize what it takes to make this idea come true.
F1 concludes: 'Although the Andretti name has some recognition among F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would give value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around. […] Based on the application as it stands, we do not believe the applicant demonstrates that it will add value to the championship.”
Andretti's reaction to the rejection
Of course Andretti Motorsport is very disappointed. In the statement, Andretti wrote: 'Andretti-Cadillac has reviewed the information shared by Formula One Management and strongly disagrees with its content. Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsport organizations committed to putting a true American factory team in F1 that can compete with the best in the world.”
Also read: FIA gives more details about F1 car of 2026: smaller, slower and a new kind of DRS
Andretti also says he is proud of the work that has been done so far to build a “very competitive car and power unit” with an experienced team. The racing company also promises to continue the work. Andretti and Cadillac have every reason to do so. Although F1 is against participation in 2026, the racing series does open the door to participation at a later date.
Still an Andretti-Cadillac F1 team?
Formula One Management ends the argument with: 'We would look differently at an application for a team for the 2028 championship with a GM powertrain, as a GM factory team or as a GM customer team with all permitted components in-house.' This says F1: 'Hey, try again later and make sure you bring General Motors.'
At the end of the message, Formula 1 gives a clear assignment to Andretti-Cadillac: 'In this case, there would be additional factors that influence the value that the applicant brings to the championship, in particular in the form of bringing a prestigious new car manufacturer to the sport as a power source supplier'. Andretti-Cadillac is unfortunately not considering a possible participation in 2028.
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