Mario Andretti Continues Fight For Andretti Cadillac F1 Bid

Mario Andretti remains dedicated to securing a spot for the Andretti Cadillac team in Formula 1.

May 28, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; IndyCar Series former driver Mario Andretti reacts prior to the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Motorsport icon Mario Andretti continues with his efforts, along with Andretti Global's, to secure a spot for the Andretti Cadillac team on the F1 grid.

Rumors have begun to circulate following the announcement that Michael Andretti had stepped down as Andretti Global CEO. Speculations have circled around a possible fallout with business partner Daniel Towriss, who now holds ownership of the team, although Andretti has denied this in an open letter to fans. Further whispers suggest Cadillac’s involvement in Formula 1 might hinge on Michael Andretti relinquishing his ownership position — a claim that also remains unconfirmed.

As these rumors gathered momentum, Mario Andretti has offered some insight. He explained during an interview with GP Blog:

"Well, I think you will have to talk to Michael. A lot of things are not exactly the way that it seems, like people are assuming, because no official comments have been made on that. So that's coming. It's not for me to divulge any of that.

"I think it's gonna be any time within a month, I would suspect. It’ll be when everything is totally established."

Amidst this turbulence, Mario Andretti remains focused on the larger picture: expanding Formula 1's grid. During conversations with key figures like Bobby Epstein of the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), Andretti has pushed the idea of increasing the number of teams in F1 to strengthen competition and ensure the sport's enduring stability.

"I really do because you’ve got to think about the practical side of it. I had some conversation with the organisers, with Bobby Epstein [of COTA] for instance. Any organiser would welcome more. Perhaps 11 or 12 teams on the grid because look at the ambition of Formula One now.

"Look at the calendar they have. The team members have no life. With this type of strain, there's always a chance that maybe a team would falter. [Perhaps] all of a sudden you're not going to have 10 teams maybe. But to assure yourself, you can see that theis welcoming that because it's part of the system that 12 teams would be allowed and welcomed as long as there's merit to it. It looks like there are some that want to be. Us being the other one fighting for it. I think it ensures that you're going to have a solid grid in the future."

Discussing the news that Alpine will no longer be using Renault power units from 2026, Andretti added:

"Well, here again. Not everybody's really, really, totally healthy. As far as the teams, there are always some things going on that raise questions about the stability of it. I think it's a business decision to be able to even allow at least 11 or 12 teams, I think would be very healthy for Formula One,"."