Michael Andretti ‘s interest in being on the Formula 1 grid with his own team from the 2024 season has been known for some time, when at the end of last season he tried to take over the Sauber-owned Alfa Romeo team.
However, the seemingly close deal fell through at the last minute due to changes to certain conditions in the contract. The American director quickly changed his plans and declared shortly after that he wanted to debut in the highest category of motorsport with Andretti Autosport in two courses.
That news was well received by many fans, even more so by Liberty Media and Formula 1 due to the expansion of the sport in the United States thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive , but there is a lot of resistance from the rest of the teams. , who don’t seem too eager to welcome a new member to the roster.
However, Andretti has not given up and has set to work for himself so that, if he gets the green light, he will appear on the list of participants in the Formula 1 championship in 2024 . The main problem is time, which is running out for the American group, as stated by its marketing director, Jean-François Thormann .
“We are not waiting for the final version of the 2026 season rules, we want to get in earlier,” he confirmed to Speed Week . “The plan is to enter in 2024, but it is becoming a bit complicated because of the deadlines.”
“It’s very close,” acknowledged the US official, who has been in office since early October 2014.
In order to have the necessary means to have a competitive Formula 1 team, Andretti will need a new factory , and although they have not officially confirmed their entry into the highest category of motorsport, they are already building a headquarters in the United States, but they know that they will have to have a fixed place in Europe.
“Our current Formula E base, the old Marussia base in Banbury, is not enough,” Thormann explained.
In addition, Andretti will have to partner with a motorcyclist to supply him with the power units, something that becomes easier if the Volkswagen Group finally enters, with Porsche , which seems to be joining Red Bull, and Audi , of which it is still It is doubtful whether they will be as their own team or only as a supplier.
Renault can be a good alternative because they do not have customer teams and only have Alpine, but Thormann defends that they are still exploring different options: “We are talking to all possible partners.”
However, it is not the only thing they must solve to enter Formula 1, since they need a strong pair of drivers. There has been much speculation that Colton Herta could be a serious candidate, although nothing is certain: “We’ll see who fits best, an American would be very good, but he’s not set in stone.”
