Andretti Pushing Ahead With F1 Plans Even With Change In Leadership

Source: Simon Galloway / Getty

INDIANAPOLIS — With Michael Andretti stepping back from his leadership role with Andretti Global, many have wondered what this will mean for the team’s pursuit of Formula One.

Andretti Global, in a partnership with GM’s Cadillac brand, was denied entry into Formula One earlier this year as nearly all current team principals representing F1’s commercial arm voted against adding an 11th team. Among the main gripes with Andretti’s application was that they felt it would not add value to the series.

This came despite the FIA, the governing body for rules enforcement of the series, giving its approval for Andretti Cadillac to join the F1 grid.

Recent movements by the team, even in the wake of Michael Andretti relinquishing his ownership stake in the team to Dan Towriss of Group 1001, indicate the team is still pushing forward with its plans to eventually join the F1 grid.

The team is expecting to have an F1 chassis built by the end of the year that will meet all the 2026 requirements as laid out by the FIA. This is being accomplished by Andretti Cadillac’s brand-new operation at Silverstone in Towcester, England.

Their Britain-based facility now boasts 250 workers all under the leadership of former F1 boss Pat Symonds.

Furthermore, Andretti Cadillac has been getting some help from Toyota. The Japanese automaker has wind tunnel facilities in Germany for its various racing ventures and has allowed Andretti to use its facilities for testing and development. This is also made possible due to the fact that since Andretti Cadillac is not part of the F1 grid, they are not constrained by a budget cap or limits on wind tunnel testing time.

Earlier this year it was hinted that Andretti Cadillac could have another opportunity to join Formula One by the 2028 season after the series’ current Concorde Agreement expires.

Andretti Pushing Ahead With F1 Plans Even With Change In Leadership  was originally published on ronewibc.staging.go.ione.nyc