Andretti back in Formula 1, now after all. Just completely different than planned. “I have to pinch myself,” said Andretti, “to make sure I’m not dreaming.” But Michael Andretti, who was once overwhelmed as a Grand Prix driver, won’t be there when Cadillac, the luxury brand of the General Motors Group (GM ), will be the eleventh team in Formula 1 from 2026. But father Mario Andretti, 84 years old and the last world champion from America in 1978. He is supposed to be involved as a board member in the Formula 1 national team in the USA, which the racing series gave permission to start on Monday evening. And so the remarkable 180 degree turnaround was completed. It was only in February of this year that those responsible at Formula 1 abruptly canceled the project initiated by Michael Andretti and GM. Andretti was hoping for a start as early as 2025, as the FIA, the world motorsport association, had officially approved the application. But Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder of Formula 1, prevented this and recommended that Andretti try again in 2028. The F.A.Z. wrote about a slap in the face for the American. He and his racing team would not bring any economic or sporting benefit to the elite series, it was said at the time. Andretti Autosport has a resounding name and competes successfully in various motorsport classes. First and foremost, the rugged basket was about money. The ten established teams feared that their racing license would lose value and that the prize money pie would shrink. Basically nothing has changed. But after the disgrace in the spring, the well-connected Michael Andretti called the American Congress. The judiciary began an investigation. The suspicion: Formula 1, a supposedly open world championship, is actually a cartel, a closed society. Suddenly a fine worth billions of euros was in question. While the authorities investigated, both sides kept in touch and kept in touch. At GM they knew that Michael Andretti was part of the problem agreed not to let the project fail because of this personnel: Andretti Cadillac becomes Cadillac, and the addition of a GM customer team turns into a factory operation that gives the project new splendor. The fact that Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei, a declared opponent of the Andretti, is leaving at the end of the year and that this is the reason for the approval, was described by the trade journal “Autosport” on Tuesday as far-fetched. It remains unclear how much entry fee Cadillac will have to pay the top dogs in total . The rules provide for 200 million dollars (around 190 million euros). But $20 million per team is unlikely to be enough for future opponents. They want a total of $600 million. Negotiations are ongoing and in the end they will probably meet in the middle. More on the topic It is clear that Cadillac will not be competing with its own drive in 2026. This is not expected until 2028. GM needs to find an engine partner for the transition. Ferrari or Honda are possible. Preparations for the start are currently underway at a factory in Silverstone and in Toyota’s rented wind tunnel in Cologne. Michael Andretti doesn’t seem to be planning on playing a role in Cadillac F1 again. This is what the message he spread on the X platform reads: “I will cheer you on!” Andretti wrote, among other things. One fan replied: “We’ll call her Andretti, boss!”
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