F1 News: Andretti Cadillac Could Join 2025 Grid Without Formula One Approval

Formula 1 wouldn't want the live screening of the race being blacked out every time the camera pans toward the Andretti Cadillac's F1 cars.

The FIA is reportedly just days away from announcing the names of the teams that will be approved to be included in the Formula 1 grid in 2025. Out of the four applicants, reports are that Andretti Cadillac is most likely to be chosen by the governing body. Once they are officially recognized as a Formula 1 team, not even Formula One can stop them from racing. 

The governing authority took a good six months to do a thorough background check of Andretti Cadillac, which included an assessment of its financial strength and ability to own, manage, and lead a Formula 1 team.

In addition, the FIA would've also looked into the team's resources to know if it is in possession of the required manpower, tools, factories, and other infrastructure that goes into developing an F1 car. Lastly, the team's ability to operate in a carbon-neutral manner would've received detailed scrutiny.

It is believed that the FIA has concluded its assessment of Andretti Cadillac and that, the entry of the American outfit into F1 is imminent. However, the scrutiny doesn't end there. The ball then rolls into the court of Formula 1 where the management investigates Andretti Cadillac's intention of the F1 participation from a financial standpoint, followed by an analysis of the commercial benefits the new team would bring to the sport.

This process would take about six months time from the date the team's entry is officially announced. However, concerns about the addition of an eleventh team were raised by several team principals, including members from the management of Liberty Media Corporation which owns Formula 1. 

Would Formula 1 risk a fistfight with Andretti Cadillac? 

That brings us to the question of whether Formula 1 would approve the addition of Andretti Cadillac after it has completed its share of scrutiny. If you look at the matter from a legal perspective, there are more chances of the new team being included in the grid without any fuss.

One reason is Article 2 of the FIA guidelines that was enforced by the EU Commission, which states that the participation of a team cannot be withheld or cancelled, unless there are serious security concerns arising out of it. Or, if there are serious concerns that the participation of the new team would jeopardize orderly proceedings.

Consider another scenario. If Liberty Media directly prevents Andretti Cadillac from being a part of the existing Concorde Agreement or, blocks it indirectly by levying an extremely high entry fee from 2026, then the new team would still be able to participate but, without claiming authority over the prize money. 

However, the new team can counter this blow by preventing a public broadcast of the team's intellectual properties which includes its Formula 1 cars. In such an eventuality, the live screening of Formula 1 will have to be blacked out whenever the camera is pointed at an Andretti Cadillac F1 car. 

I'm quite sure that F1 won't risk taking the matter so far, especially when it is focussing on increasing its reach among the America.