F1 News: Haas Snubbed In Andretti Comparison

Martin Brundle has suggested that if the Haas F1 team were to enter the Formula 1 grid today, it would most likely be rejected by the FOM.

Former driver and Sky F1 presenter Martin Brundle has compared the Haas F1 team to Andretti Cadillac by claiming that if the American team were to join Formula 1 today, it would not be permitted entry by the Formula One management (FOM). 

Key Takeaways:

• Martin Brundle draws a comparison between the Haas F1 team and Andretti Cadillac, suggesting that Haas would not be allowed entry into Formula 1 if it were to apply today, similar to Andretti's situation.
• Andretti Cadillac received approval from the FIA to enter Formula 1 last year but cannot join the grid until their partner, General Motors, becomes an official engine supplier in 2028, delaying their potential entry.
• Brundle speculates that Andretti could expedite their entry into Formula 1 by acquiring Haas or another team, highlighting the challenges newcomers face in entering the sport and suggesting that Haas may not receive entry if it were a new applicant today.

Last year, Andretti Cadillac received approval from the FIA to enter Formula 1. However, following financial scrutiny conducted by FOM, a decision was reached earlier this month indicating that the team cannot be considered to join the grid until their partner, General Motors, becomes an official engine supplier, slated for 2028.

Thus, Andretti Cadillac's potential entry onto the F1 grid has been postponed. While it cannot be said what the team's next steps would be, Brundle has suggested one sure-shot way Andretti can make it into Formula 1 sooner than 2028. He told the media:

“So can Andretti try to buy Haas? Is Haas for sale? Are any of the other teams for sale? Because that looks to be now the only way for them onto the grid.

“But, I think we have to take away the emotion of it being called Andretti. Yes, Andretti is an incredible name. Anybody around the world knows of Mario Andretti, former Formula 1 World Champion of course, but I think you have to take that emotion away and call it Team A if you like, and really coldly look at how how they would operate, what can they bring to the table? And how successful might they be?”

Andretti Press Image

However, the owner of the Haas F1 team, Gene Haas, revealed last month that the team was not up for sale since he was in the sport to race. However, Brundle emphasized that if Haas were not already established in Formula 1, it would not receive entry into the sport as of today.

The sole American team in the premier class of motoring ended up at the bottom of the Constructors' Championship last year after a disappointing season. The former driver believes that the only value the team brings to the sport is to act as a link between the American audience and F1. He added:

“I think if Haas were applying now to Formula 1 as it is in 2024, I don’t think they’d get an entry to be honest.

“In the way that they operate and the structure of their team, partly in Italy, the UK and America.

“But they’re already in the club. That’s the key part here and they’ve been part of building the recent success and soaring awareness of Formula 1.”

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