OPINION: I am disgusted by F1’s rejection of Andretti Global

by Ben Schneider

LASTCAR.info Staff Writer

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Part of this article is adapted from my commentary on "GRID Tonight" on GRID Network from January 31, 2024. Click here to listen to the full episode of the podcast.

I am disgusted with Formula 1.

There’s really nothing more I need to say. Honestly, I’m so disgusted with this series that I find myself questioning whether or not there’s anything else worth taking time out of my day to say.

But I’m sure you clicked on this headline expecting a full article, so I’ll do my best.

If you missed the news Wednesday morning, Andretti Global’s F1 bid has been officially rejected for 2025 and 2026. Supposedly, the door has been left open for 2028 when General Motors comes into the sport as a manufacturer, though it’s worth noting the American automotive giant is on record saying they are only interested in doing so with Andretti.

Regardless, to deny Michael Andretti’s entry due to concerns about being uncompetitive is laughable enough on its own. Let’s remember that these words come immediately following a year after the series saw the same team win 21 of 22 races. Now, let’s couple that with the fact that, as IndyStar’s Nathan Brown pointed out, the bottom four teams in the series have only combined for six podiums in the last seven seasons. Finally, let’s triple down on that by remembering what NBC Sports’ Leigh Diffey noted, that perennial backmarker entries such as Manor and Caterham got approval less than a decade and a half ago in the same sport despite rarely (if ever) threatening to so much as even score a single point.

And you’re telling me you don’t believe the name Andretti would be a “competitive participant”?

Furthermore, perhaps the most insulting part of this story is part 16 of the official rejection statement released by F1: “While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.”

Never mind being “uncompetitive.” To say the brand of “Andretti Global” would not bring enough value to F1 on its own is not only laughable, it’s hysterical.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that provides name recognition in the form of racing royalty, not to mention F1’s 1978 World Drivers’ Champion, in a year where two of its teams have changed their names to “Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber” and “Visa CashApp RB.”

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that is based in America and owned by Americans, not to mention is almost guaranteed to bring in an American driver, in a time where F1 is looking to continue to build on their rising popularity with the US audience.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that has competed, and won, in IndyCar, IMSA, Formula E, Extreme E, and RallyCross.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that has shown a commitment to being in F1 for over two and half years, organizing their efforts to launch their proposed team shortly after their purchase of Sauber fell through at the 11th hour.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that has already set up a $200 million headquarters facility in Indiana, which broke ground more than a year ago.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that plans to operate not just from that 575,000 square foot base in Fishers, but also from Silverstone, Cologne, and Charlotte, allowing the team to have a presence at four different locations in three different countries.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that announced last January that they plan to partner with Cadillac, bring the GM brand into the sport as a long-term power unit supplier.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global whose entry has already received approval from the FIA, and was the only one of four recent applicants to do so.

This, of course, is the same Andretti Global that, as recently as two days ago, was revealed to already have parts in production, and already has a car model in the wind tunnel.

And, for what it’s worth, this is the same Formula 1 that allowed another American entry, Haas, into the sport as the 11th team in 2016, despite the fact that their entry has only once finished higher than P8 in the Constructors’ Championship, including a last-place finish in 2023.

So how then was Haas able to join, and remain on, the grid without any indication the team would ever truly be competitive?

Apparently, either the rules have been changed since 2016 specifically to gatekeep the sport, or the “Haas” name is more valuable to Formula 1 than that of its now-”devastated” 1978 World Champion.