Source: REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
[Saba Sports News] In October 2023, the FIA
announced that Andretti Racing Team was the sole potential candidate team to
successfully pass the F1 application process, granting them permission to enter
into commercial negotiations with Formula 1. This marked the final stage of
joining F1. However, despite progressing through the FIA review, Andretti
Racing faced challenges during negotiations with Formula 1. The two parties had
significant differences, ultimately leading to F1 rejecting the American team’s
application for entry. The F1 organizing committee reasoned that if Andretti
Racing were to join in 2025, they would need to build a car for the existing
regulations and then develop another car for the new regulations in 2026. This
would result in a wastage of resources, conflicting with F1’s overall focus on
sustainable development. Additionally, the inclusion of Andretti Racing as the
11th team would impose an increased operational burden on the event organizers.
Nevertheless, F1 remains open to the possibility of reaching an agreement with
Andretti Racing in the future, potentially paving the way for their entry into
F1 in 2028. It is worth noting that not all F1 teams are enthusiastic about
welcoming new teams, as some may be reluctant to share the benefits with an
additional team.