Formula One Doesn’t Deserve The Andretti Name
Formula One doesn’t deserve the Andretti name.
Let me preface this by saying the following: I’ve been a fan of Indy Car racing since I was five years old, and I’m proud to say I’m one of the track announcers for the Detroit Grand Prix.
I’m also the guy who gets up at 4am on Sunday mornings to watch F1 racing all over the world, have pictures of Aryton Senna in my “man cave”, Red Bull models and have followed the sport non-stop (go scroll through my Garage podcasts and see how often we talk about F1).
So yeah, I’m a fan of both series. And here’s what really bothers me about the decision by Formula One to formally reject Andretti/Cadillac’s joint entry into the sport in 2025 or 2026.
Couple of points to address:
- Formula One felt Andretti wouldn’t be able to handle fielding a car in 2025 and then moving on to the new design regulations in 2026. For the record, Haas joined F1 in 2016 and the sports changed the cars in 2017 (and if you think Haas has more racing experience than Andretti…sigh).
- Formula One claims the logistical impact of having an 11th team is a lot for some of the tracks (extra garage space, hospitality, etc). Strangely enough they found room for an 11th team this year…Brad Pitt’s F1 movie had no problem getting room.
- Here’s a quote from the F1 statement: “Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship. The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.”. Andretti (the owner) competes in IndyCar, Formula E, endurance racing, touring cars and Extreme E championships. So if you think Andretti wouldn’t be competitive, take a close look at the “back markers” in F1 and I’ll take Michael over Williams/Haas/Sauber any day of the week.
Formula One Went Too Far
Okay…so you can tell I don’t agree with their decision. But I’d respect it (after all, they own it) if they didn’t do one thing. Formula One made it personal:
“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”.
Was that necessary? You didn’t need to take a shot at the family name. Mario Andretti is the greatest living driver in the WORLD. Unless there’s another driver who’s won the Indy 500, Daytona 500, Formula One World Championship? No. You sure? Just checking. Nope.
Mario Andretti loves Formula One. Celebrates the sport and speaks with such passion for Ferrari and his love of racing. Mario Andretti is all that’s good in motorsports – and F1 felt compelled to insult his family name.
I read this somewhere:
“Anyone that does not respect your family, is very unlikely to respect you. They have shown you they are unable to appreciate the whole process that made you who you are”.
Formula One doesn’t deserve the Andretti name.
