F1 News: Former Team Owner Hits Out At Andretti Cadillac Rejection - "Scandalous"
Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan has expressed his dismay over the rejection of Andretti's bid to join Formula 1, labelling the decision as "scandalous".
Key Takeaways:
- Eddie Jordan criticised the decision to reject Andretti Cadillac's entry into F1, highlighting the team's potential contribution to the sport.
- Jordan pointed out that there is provision for 24 cars on the grid, suggesting that Andretti's entry would not have been unprecedented.
In a recent episode of the Formula For Success podcast, Eddie Jordan, a notable figure in the Formula 1 community and a former team owner, voiced his strong objections to the decision to deny Andretti Cadillac a spot on the F1 grid. Jordan reminisced about the days when the competition to qualify for races was fierce, with as many as 39 cars vying for 24 slots.
Jordan criticised Liberty Media and the existing F1 teams for their stance on Andretti's application, despite the team meeting all required criteria set by the FIA, including financial backing from General Motors and a short-term engine supply from Renault. He emphasised the significant employment and economic opportunities that Andretti's entry could have brought, particularly in the United States, which is a key market for Formula 1's growth. He commented:
“In my day, when I started my first race in 1991, there were 39 cars waiting to try and qualify for 24 slots on the grid.
“I should remind [you] that there is already a provision for 24 [cars] on the grid. Not 22, not 20: 24.
“So there is an allocation at the moment and for Liberty to come out and say – despite the fact that the FIA had said that they’ve passed all of the criteria – that they hadn’t got their ducks in a row and they didn’t have the finance; when they had General Motors; they already had engines coming from Renault for the short term to get them over the passage."
He continued:
“With a name like Andretti. With the possibility of people being employed. They will employ maybe 700-800 people – think about what income that [creates], it generates more value.
“It’s in the backyard of where we’re all trying to achieve greatness and that is in America – Drive to Survive.
“It’s natural that somebody like Andretti [would want to enter F1]. It’s a privilege for us to have somebody like Michael Andretti and his father Mario, a World Champion.
“I think it’s scandalous that these teams [have taken such a dim view of Andretti’s entry].
“Even though Liberty say the teams didn’t have an effect on this, that’s nonsense. Of course they have: they made it very clear that it’s closed shop, it’s us 10, forget everyone else, it’s a franchise."
The former team owner concluded:
“The teams aren’t stupid. Bernie [Ecclestone, former F1 chief executive] was incredibly fair about this, because he allowed other teams to come and go as they want.
“There’s Lamborghini, Prost, Ligier, Zakspeed, Honda, Suzuki, Toyota, BMW – great names, they’re not there anymore, but they were given the chance.
“So by normal deduction, there should be a flow in and a flow out. If you look at the [Premier League in football], three, go down, three go up.
“It’s a normal competitive fact and to think that the 10 teams in there can dictate to the world that it’s us, and us only, is fundamentally wrong and flies in the face of anyone that is fair and reasonable.”