Andretti is still pushing to enter the Formula 1 grid in 2026, despite facing setbacks from FOM.
Andretti took one step closer to joining the F1 grid earlier this year when the FIA accepted their application. The sport’s governing body deemed that Andretti met the necessary requirements to add value to the sport as a competitive outfit. Unfortunately for the Indianapolis-based operation, FOM rejected their advance.
Since the Concorde Agreement was signed in 2020, Andretti has emerged as the only case study for how a new team can enter F1. As it stands, this consists of a $200 million entry fee. For any potential new teams, this was set as the necessary amount to compensate for the dilution of prize money.
However, there are more criteria to pass. The somewhat ambiguous requirement for Andretti to meet is to prove they can add “value” to the sport. In theory, this is a subjective condition that is extremely difficult to prove.
To some degree, this has given Formula 1 the wiggle room to reject the American suad from entry. After all, they have already invested in two operational facilities in America and the United Kingdom. The team’s partnership with General Motors only adds to its impressive financial and infrastructural strength.
Regrettably, this has not been enough. There is also the risk of teams agreeing to an increased entry fee when the Concorde agreement expires – further complicating matters.
No shortage of investment from Andretti
The extent of their commitment to F1 was recently detailed by Craig Slater:
“They’ve got around about 120 staff already here in the UK,” he told Sky Sports.
“The ambition is to have 400 [in Silverstone] and 700 over in America. So the car will be designed here, the aerodynamics will be here and it will be built over in the States.
“Indianapolis is where they have most of their factory units.”
For context, Haas F1 currently employ approximately 300 staff. It certainly cannot be said that Andretti lacks the resources to join the grid. Still, FOM’s official answer to their application for 2025 and 2026 was no.
This does not mean, however, that Andretti is giving up. After all, as the sport’s governing body, the FIA ultimately determines who competes in Formula 1. Of course, FOM are the commercial rights holders, and – therefore – an agreement with them is necessary to compete in F1 long-term.
Luckily for Andretti, the FIA’s support gives them options to keep their F1 dream alive. Over the next few months, more chapters will be written in the increasingly drawn-out saga for an eleventh team.
