Column: Michael Andretti gets the green light from F1 -- now what?
Almost a full year ago I wrote about the Andretti family trying to make their way into F1, my first article on Auto Racing Digest.
Fast Forward 10 months, and Andretti has been approved by the FIA and is now in the final steps of being the 11th team in the garage.
Back in January, the odds weren't very high for Andretti, but he was the most qualified of the proposed entries. I had mentioned that many current F1 teams were not a fan of an 11th team to compete against and share the prize money with. The barrier to entry also seemed to be low. Fast forward 10 months later and Andretti beat all the odds ... at least the first boss in the battle.
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement that Andretti Formula Racing LLC should progress to the next stage of the application process and commercial discussions with Formula One Management. This means Andretti is now a serious contender for an 11th team. The major governing body approved Michael, which at this moment is the first of many steps, but the hardest to achieve. Most of the battle is won now for Andretti, it just comes down to FOM and the teams.
"The FIA is obliged to approve applications that comply with the Expressions of Interests application requirements and we have adhered to that procedure in deciding that Andretti Formula Racing LLC's application would proceed to the next stage of the application process," said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Andretti has been very serious about being the 11th F1 team for a long time, almost a year now, and that's proven by the following statement.
"Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity that fulfills the selection criteria that was set in all material respects. I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission," Sulayem said.
Alpine Racing has said it will supply engines to Andretti if they had won approval from the FIA. Now that it has happened, I wonder what Alpine's view on this statement is now? Will they back down or stick to their word?
Andretti now needs to reach a commercial deal with FOM, which has been known to resist adding to the field.
Andretti had the following to say: "Andretti Cadillac is honored that the FIA has approved Andretti Formula Racing's Expression of Interest for the Formula 1 world championship. We appreciate the FIA's rigorous, transparent, and complete evaluation process and are incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to compete in such a historic and prestigious championship."
"The formation of this distinctly American team is an important moment of pride for all our employees and fans. We feel strongly that Andretti Cadillac's deep racing competencies and the technological advancements that come from racing will benefit our customers while heightening enthusiasm for F1, globally."
"We look forward to engaging with all of the stakeholders in Formula 1 as we continue our planning to join the grid as soon as possible."
Andretti is now in the third and final stage of approval. The odds are in Andretti's favor, and it's time for fans and teams to start preparing for 22 cars on track again.