Background | Andretti has F1 licence: what's next?

After years of lobbying and persuading, Michael Andretti has almost achieved his goal: he has a Formula 1 licence from the FIA, which should allow US-based Andretti Global to join the grid from 2025 onwards. However, there is still one big hurdle to overcome. The current F1 teams must agree to Andretti's entry. So, how does it go from here?

For months, the FIA did due diligence on Andretti Global, and that investigation is now said to have ended. The investigation required Andretti to show how the structure within the team was, who was working in managerial positions, whether there were qualified staff and whether the factory met F1 standards. Meanwhile, Andretti have now been officially told by the FIA that the specified conditions from the federation have been met.

The F1 teams are in charge

However, that does not imply that Andretti Global will be active in F1 from 2025. FIA approval is step one, but now the existing teams still have to consider Andretti Global's entry. It is no secret that these are not eager to allow the Americans in. The teams fear, for instance, that their revenues will decrease once they put an eleventh team on the grid.

The teams also want to prevent Andretti from using Formula 1 to make quick money, for example, by letting the new team change hands after only a short time. Moreover, the teams want a guarantee that Andretti Global will add value commercially and athletically. Understandably, there are doubts about the latter. Haas - the last team to join Formula 1 from nowhere - has still not managed to be a structural middle (let alone top) team after eight seasons. For Andretti Global, a Haas scenario is real, which would involve years of hobbling along at the back.

Andretti dependent on Alpine

Moreover, Andretti seems to be following Haas F1's philosophy in terms of car development (by necessity). Their power unit will soon be bought from Alpine, along with as many parts as possible. Some seventy per cent of the Andretti car will come from Alpine's factory, with the rest to be produced by the Americans themselves. Similarly, Haas have worked and still works with Ferrari, and the quality of the Alpine and the Alpine power unit is inferior to anything Ferrari makes.

General Motors has partnered with Andretti through its Cadillac brand. At an earlier stage, the car group indicated it might want to produce its own power unit, but 2026 - when the new engine regulations take effect - is too early anyway. Even 2027 seems unrealistic. In short, Andretti can probably do nothing but knock on Alpine's door for at least three seasons.

Andretti guarantee of success

At the same time, Andretti has shown in other classes to always become successful, even if it sometimes takes a while. See, for example, the adventure in Formula E, where the team won with Jake Dennis in 2023. Owner Michael Andretti is a true motorsport man with a huge passion for the sport. Andretti does not rest until he is successful. It is not in his character to approach Formula 1 differently than, say, Formula E or IndyCar. He wants to succeed. And in F1, he has every possibility to do so.

In that respect, the current F1 teams need not worry. But is that also enough to convince them to follow the FIA's expected example? Good question, to which the answer cannot be given. F1 teams do need to realise that refusing Andretti - if it meets all the FIA's requirements - is difficult under European law. Only if safety is at risk or there are legitimate concerns about the entry process (which is indeed arbitrary) can a team normally be refused. 

There even appears to be a possible scenario where Andretti competes but is not covered by the F1 teams' Concorde Agreement. In that case, Andretti's cars would not be pictured during Grands Prix, nor would the Americans then receive prize money. It seems unlikely that Andretti would decide to do this, especially since Formula 1 would then become a very loss-making business.

Nevertheless, interesting weeks await Andretti Global, and the outcome of which is unclear.