F1 News: Andretti Cadillac Teases Huge Sport Milestone As Bid To Join The Grid Progresses
Michael Andretti has confirmed that his team is gearing up big time to enter the world of Formula 1. The joint venture between Andretti and General Motors called Andretti Cadillac had placed a bid to enter the sport through an official FIA process launched this year.
The FIA is currently in the process of evaluating the bids received. Once a decision on whether or not to expand the F1 grid is taken, the governing body will announce the entry of new teams. While the existing team bosses are quite unhappy with the addition of more teams into Formula 1, Andretti Cadillac's team has already initiated preparations to enter Formula 1, as if they know FIA's verdict beforehand.
To start with, an under-construction Andretti Autosport headquarters in Fishers, Indiana will house the team's global motorsports operations like Indy NXT, IMSA, Extreme E, Formula E, and IndyCar. Andretti is ready for a Formula 1 factory at the same location if the bid is approved.
Multiple attempts by Andretti Autosport to buy existing Formula 1 teams in the past like Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri have failed. Andretti remains optimistic and positive about being given an opportunity to attach his name to the F1 grid with General Motors.
He also talks about the preparations taking place, and plans of making their future F1 car in the US. When asked about the bid, he told Speedweek:
“I’m optimistic about that.
“I hope that the FIA will clarify this in the next few weeks. In any case, we are preparing at full speed. At the moment we have 25 employees, and the number is constantly increasing.
"Cadillac is also working at full speed, the endurance races are not affected and are completely independent of the Formula 1 programme. They’re really getting into it.
"Everything is on track with the construction of the new headquarters in Fishers, Indiana. We hope to be able to move there from our old base at the end of 2024.
"The investment is really big. We not only want to locate the North American projects there, but also our Formula 1 team. Our first car will be built in Europe, but after that in Indiana. We will have the first Formula 1 car built in the US.”
Though the FIA hasn't commented on the bids officially, there could be a possibility that Andretti Cadillac has received confirmation from the governing body of their entry into F1 behind closed doors. Or at least, a hint of it. The work at Andretti Cadillac has been in full swing without an official confirmation, that says a lot.