F1 News: Andretti Advised To Buy This Team - 'Bring Nothing To F1'

Former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve claims Andretti should purchase a current F1 team which "brings nothing to F1."

Friday, May 12, 2023, Michael Andretti, owner of Andretti Autosport, watches action during practice for the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. | Kristin Enzor/For IndyStar / USA TODAY

1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has voiced a bold suggestion for Michael Andretti's ambitions in Formula 1: buy the existing Haas F1 team instead of launching a new one.

Villeneuve criticized the Haas team's contribution to the sport during an interview with Best Payout Online Slots, stating:

"Right now there’s a couple of teams like Haas that bring nothing to F1. It has no image. For everyone in the industry, it is much better to have Haas replaced by another name. Why have an eleventh team when maybe someone could buy Haas and rebrand it with a better name?"

According to Villeneuve, the Haas team's absence of a distinctive image or identity within Formula 1 makes it a prime candidate for acquisition and rebranding, which he argues could be more beneficial for the sport than adding yet another team to the grid.

"If someone buys Haas at a stupid price that gives huge value to everyone. An eleventh team would just dilute the value. You don’t have to look any further from that. It is business."

Drawing comparisons to recent team purchases within Formula 1, Villeneuve points to Audi's acquisition of Sauber as a positive example of adding value to the sport. He continued:

"Audi has spent a lot of money to buy Sauber and that has brought value. Haas being replaced by a brand name is a bonus for the whole paddock."

However, Villeneuve expresses skepticism about the potential impact of the Andretti name in modern Formula 1, particularly outside the United States.

"Andretti is a great name but it is not enough on its own. If they’re running last no-one will care who he is. It is a name from the past in the States. Take it out of the industry and the States, nobody knows it. It is part of F1 history, it’s not part of the modern sport. 20-year-old F1 fans probably wouldn’t know who he is and right now the US has three Grand Prixs. An extra American name won’t bring anything."

This coincides with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's recent recommendation that Michael Andretti should consider purchasing an existing Formula 1 team instead of introducing a new one.