Formula 1 Racing News

[Stormy_Monday]

Did anyone think that F1 was going to allow them in?

[blueline]

Andretti Cadillac bid for F1 has been rejected:https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula ... -andretti/

Unfortunate and I am disappointed. Sort of.

There are interesting nuggets in the written decision against Andretti's entry to F1.

First is item #4 in the "Introduction". I can only speculate as to why Andretti refused the meeting. Maybe because he already new what the decision was going to be? (Very likely.)

Further down, the bulk of the reason denying entry seems to revolve around the PU issue. Nothing is ready from GM so Andretti would be using an interim, short-term PU source who would know that they would be the PU supplier for only two years. Not much incentive and it casts further doubt on how competitive Andretti would be, especially in light of the changes coming for the 2026 season and the difficulties Andretti would face as an already challenged new team undergoing significant PU (and other) transitions. It seems that F1 made a pretty strong case that was reasonably well thought out.

Finally, as a bit of encouragement for the future for Andretti (or other applicants), F1 wrote the following which I find significant. (Item #7 under "Conclusions of commercial assessment"):

"We would look differently on an application for the entry of a team into the 2028 Championship with a GM power unit, either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house. In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the Applicant would bring to the Championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM to the sport as a PU supplier."

(I'm not quite sure why the quoted statement above says 2028 when the new changes are for the 2026 F1 season.)

[blueline]

Did anyone think that F1 was going to allow them in?

I guess not but then I thought "Andretti" and figured there was a good chance. Per the denial statement, that might be the case in the next several years for somebody wanting in, whether Andretti or some other entity.

[996C438]

Of course F1 would be interested in 2028 . By then the new Concorde agreement will be in place with an entry fee of 600 million or more !!!! But F1 and the teams have no issues with the $$$ generated in the US by hosting races . It's all about $$$ and being in the exclusive club .

[blueline]

Of course F1 would be interested in 2028 . By then the new Concorde agreement will be in place with an entry fee of 600 million or more !!!! But F1 and the teams have no issues with the $$$ generated in the US by hosting races . It's all about $$$ and being in the exclusive club .

Oh yeah, you can be assured that when all is said and done it's about the money - and lots of it. Just look at the massive increase in F1 valuation that's here already per the Forbes article you posted earlier today. The current teams and F1 were already well aware of their worth and are going to make any new entrant pay the price, at least as long as F1 maintains its popularity and lofty valuation.

[blueline]

Professional sports teams everywhere mint money when admitting new entrants to their leagues. It's quite the scheme but it's how it works.

As just one recent example, the Seattle Kraken paid the NHL a $650 million franchise fee in 2021 to gain entry. That was just for the privilege to join the league - nothing more. That fee then allowed them spend many hundreds of millions more to actually build a team from the ground up.

Nice work if you can get it...

[blueline]

Some additional relevant comments from Autoweek regarding the denial of Andretti's F1 bid.

"Why Formula 1 Said No to Michael Andretti's Bid to Join F1 Grid"
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula ... d568259d8a

I would have preferred to have seen Andretti be given the chance to succeed or fail on his own, but a good bit of what's being said does make sense. The undertaking is extraordinarily huge.

Having said that, supposedly insurmountable obstacles are what dreams and impressive accomplishments are built on. In that vein, Andretti (and GM) should have been given the chance to succeed or fail on their own.

A couple of notable quotes from F1 in the Autoweek article:

"In explaining its decision to turn down Andretti for 2025, it outlines that 'a novice entrant' would have to 'build two completely different cars in its first two years of existence' and that 'the fact that the applicant proposes to do so gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope of the challenge involved.'

While largely an accurate assessment, the last few words of that sentence were a below-the-belt comment about Andretti's intelligence, skills, and abilities.


"Having a GM PU supply attached to the Application at the outset would have enhanced its credibility, though a novice constructor in partnership with a new entrant PU supplier would also have a significant challenge to overcome.”

This is logical.

[71eh]

Maybe if they called themselves "M&M'S Lay's NETFLIX WD-40 Instagram F1 Team" then they would have a chance, based on where F1 teams are going lately.

Hard to believe back in 2014 they granted HASS a entrance license.... Even Alpine, who STILL don't invest enough. They have to take money from Hollywood actors instead of just funding their own team all the way up to the budget cap.

[RDMcG]

Hamilton looks like he is off to Ferrari............https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/hamil ... /10571253/

[996C438]

Carlos Sainz will be scrambling for a 2025 ride . I would like to see him out perform Charles this year . Carlos in a Mercedes to backfill Lewis ? Carlos to Sauber to become a factory Audi driver ? Mick Schumacher to backfill Lewis ? Lots of possibilities .