The latest development in the controversy surrounding Andretti Cadillac’s Formula One entry could be the most heated yet, according to one research outlet. Report from Sahil Kapoor NBC News.
According to Kapur, Mario Andretti and Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei allegedly had a “clash” at a private breakfast on Saturday, the day before the Miami Grand Prix. Liberty Media is F1’s ownership group.
Andretti told Kapoor that when he arrived at the reception, he began talking to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali about his visit to Capitol Hill ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. On the Wednesday before the race, Andretti attended a press conference with members of Congress regarding the Andretti-Cadillac team proposal.
Various congressional leaders have sent letters to Liberty Media and F1 regarding the bid over the past few days, including most recently a group of senators including Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Who asked the Department of Justice and the FTC to investigate? Andretti Cadillac’s “exclusion” from F1.
Returning for the invitation-only event before the Miami Grand Prix, Andretti told Kapoor that Maffei had intervened while he was talking to Domenicali.
“I was told to go [to Washington]” Andretti recalled telling Domenicali when he spoke with Kapoor, “And just as I was about to explain that to Stefano, to Greg Maffei, Mr. Maffei interrupted the conversation and said, ‘Mario, I just want to tell you that we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure Michael doesn’t go into Formula 1.’
Kapoor contacted Maffei and Liberty Media, but both declined to comment.[a] A source close to Liberty Media, speaking on condition of anonymity in a private conversation, said the incident happened differently than Andretti described it.
He added, “Andretti approached Greg at breakfast to discuss the matter.” According to sources NBC NewsIt added that in the conversation, Maffei suggested to Andretti that their application to join the grid in 2025 or 2026 was rejected for legitimate business reasons.
The report is just the latest development in the ongoing turmoil surrounding the Andretti Cadillac F1 Team initiative. Last year, motorsport’s governing body, the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), invited applications from promising teams wanting to join the F1 grid. Many promising teams submitted bids, including Andretti Cadillac, and the Andretti Cadillac partnership initiative was the only team approved by the FIA at this early stage.
But the next step was a review by the sport’s commercial rights holder, Formula One Management (FOM). Andretti and Cadillac’s bid stalled in late January. According to a statement released by FOM to the media: SB Nationthe sport’s commercial rights holders deemed the Andretti Cadillac team “uncompetitive.”
“Our evaluation process determined that the mere presence of an 11th team would not add value to the championship. The most important way a new entrant can add value is by being competitive. We do not believe the applicant will be a competitive participant.”
“It would be damaging to the prestige and standing of the championship for new teams to have to accept a compulsory power unit supply for several seasons.”
“While the Andretti name has some recognition for F1 fans, our research shows that F1 will bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.”
The decision only sped things along for Andretti Cadillac. The promising team recently opened a facility in Silverstonenear Silverstone Circuit, home of the British Grand Prix. And in perhaps its biggest move yet, the team announced earlier this week that Pat Symonds, a Formula 1 veteran who is ending his seven-year stint as F1’s chief technical officer, was “time to garden.”
As Andretti said NBC NewsHe believes all of the proposed Andretti and Cadillac bids are done correctly and will bring “value” to F1. “We’re offering something of value. It’s a great investment in a sport that we love, or a sport that is our job and our passion,” he told Kapur. “It’s a long-term commitment. We’ve done everything we need to achieve, everything we need to do to earn a spot in F1. What else do you want us to do?”
