Is anyone else getting the 'fake it til you make it' vibe from the Andrettis? I just don't think they'll make it. For all the reasons cited above. Sent from my SM-A102U using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Andretti surprised by negativity surrounding F1 team plans Michael Andretti has admitted he was surprised by the negative reaction that some Formula 1 teams have about his plans to enter the sport. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login By: Jonathan Noble Co-author: Charles Bradley Mar 1, 2022, 4:35 AM The American has lodged a request with the FIA to join the F1 grid from 2024, and is hoping to get an answer by next month so he can start ramping up preparations. But while some current F1 teams believe Andretti's presence in grand prix racing would be hugely positive, others are more sceptical. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Red Bull chief Christian Horner have both made it clear that Andretti would need to prove the benefits for F1 as a whole if it was to be welcomed. "Andretti is a name, that's for sure," said Wolff during pre-season testing at Barcelona in Spain. "And the American market is important. But every team that is joining needs to be accretive, that means needs to add value. "And it's not only by paying $200 million entry fee, but it needs to demonstrate in my opinion what it can do for the other teams, for F1 and FIA. Only then the sport will grow." Speaking in response to the comments made about his entry, Andretti told Autosport that he was surprised by the stance that some had shown. "I was, I really was," he said. "I thought that it would be a no-brainer to get done and just go. But obviously nothing's that way in Formula 1." He added: "We've lodged an entry, and just need approval. Hopefully people understand we're not diluting. That's what Toto says – we're diluting. No, we're not. "First of all, we're bringing $200m, and second we feel we're going to add more than $100m to the bottom line just here in the US, with everything that's going on in having an American team and an American driver." Image Unavailable, Please Login Michael Andretti, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman of Andretti Autosport Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images Andretti has opted for a new team entry after talks with Alfa Romeo about a takeover collapsed at the 11th hour last year. Reflecting on what happened there, Andretti said the situation was hard to accept. "That was a joke," he said. "We were there. It was done. We had a day set up to sign it, and literally two days before, they changed the terms. "They basically still wanted to keep control. I was like, 'No, they can't keep control.' They wanted veto rights on everything all of a sudden. It was horrible. "We wasted so much time. If we didn't do that, we'd have been so much further ahead on everything else." Andretti has also sounded out Gene Haas about buying his F1 team but has so far been unsuccessful in his overtures. "Gene Haas wouldn't sell," added Andretti. "I've asked five or six times." https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/andretti-surprised-by-negativity-surrounding-f1-team-plans/8601178/
If Mikey is just know realizing that the F1 paddock is not the warm, fuzzy, friendly place the IndyCar paddock is, he might try jumping into a pool of hungry sharks just to get a small preview.
There is a lot more money involved in F1 than in IndyCar, I guess, therefore the stakeholders will protect their interest more vigorously. It's easy to understand: adding a new team to the grid is not welcomed because it will inevitably reduce the income for the 10 teams already existing.
Haas is apparently on the way to lose one major sponsor and one paying driver - not sure how it will translate into the team's present and future.
Team has stated money flow is not an issue with all this. Yet it seems. Drivers needing F1 drives and one's interested will have money. Fittipaldi etc
Maybe Andretti can still pull it off, and use the Alfa Romeo failed deal as a "Ford vs. Ferrari" inspirational road to F1. I was thinking that in the past there was usually news from F1 that they were accepting bids or open to new teams, rather than someone just going to F1 and wanting to start a new team.
F1 has not been keeping an open offer going from what has been published. No matter, they can work on this if they feel the need. Understandable the teams are slow to want to dilute their resource flows just yet.
Alfa and Haas are still the poor men in the circus. Neither seems able to bring a car to the gird that isn't rolling road block. The FIA should go to the weakest and tell them to sell to Andretti, and their place will be eliminated and given to Andretti.
Is Andretti saying his F1 team will add 100 million to Liberty Media's bottom line, or his? (Sorry, I just don't have high regard for Andretti financial astuteness....don't know why.) Sent from my SM-A102U using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I'm assuming that being too slow to even be competitive could be construed in some way not meeting the team's obligation by not making a best effort.
Out of 10 teams, one has to be the less performing, but that changes year after year. Not so long ago it was Williams ! Haas is meeting its obligations, never missing a race, so why should they be put of of business by the FIA ? You do come up with strange ideas sometimes.
Wasn't there a rule that if you weren't within a percentage of the pole lap, you didn't make the grid? Maybe that should be brought back, and if you fail to make the grid a percentage of times in the season, you are out and a new team is invited to enter. Or if you can't finish within one lap behind the leader more than three times, you are bumped from three races and another team is invited to compete in your space for those three races. If they to better, then they stay.
Hopefully this won’t turn into another Peter Windsor story with all his smoke and mirrors he tried to pull off
Thats not a solution lol. F1 has had slower teams and the non use of the 107% rule is for a reason. It offered nothing lol. Read the FIA regs - those are the established modus for F1.
you'd have to be WAY slower than Haas to hit the 107% rule. Then they'd let you race anyway with only 10 teams.
In better days, it would have been possible. The modern technology hasn't increased or encouraged competition, it has stifled it. Still, if teams were on notice that going to slow means losing your place on the grid, other teams might be willing to gear up and have a car ready to show what they can do. Or let's have more cars in practice and qualifying, but only let the 16 fastest take part in the race.
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/domenicali-competitive-f1-grid-more-important-than-new-teams/9275351/ Domenicali: Competitive F1 grid more important than new teams Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali thinks that ensuring the current grid is as competitive as possible is more important for the spectacle than bringing new teams in. Image Unavailable, Please Login By: Jonathan Noble Co-author: Roberto Chinchero Mar 24, 2022, 5:29 AM Image Unavailable, Please Login Amid the huge interest caused by the proposal of Michael Andretti to launch an F1 team for 2024, there has been divided opinion in the paddock about whether or not that would be a positive thing. Some squads think the presence of a major name like Andretti would drive up the value of F1 – so all teams would end up benefiting. However, others are more sceptical about there being much added value and are instead concerned about the downside of commercial right income being diluted among more teams. Domenicali is not against new teams coming in to F1 in the future, but says it is not a priority for him to fill up all the possible slots. “We have received many requests,” said Domenicali. “How many? More than one and... less than eight! “There are those who have not hidden their intentions, even in public, and there are those who are carrying out very confidential negotiations. “Personally, I do not believe that the number of teams in Formula 1 today is a limiting factor from the point of view of entertainment. “I believe it is a priority to work to increase the competitiveness of some teams that are already present. I do not believe that increasing the number of entries brings added value, unless they are teams of the highest quality".
"Domenicali: Competitive F1 grid more important than new teams" Translation: Dear Mr. Andretti, thanks but no thanks. Don't call us, we'll call you. Keep your day job.
The Andretti name would certainly stir up interest in North America and increase attendance in the 3 US GPs, the Canadian and Mexican GPs. Beyond that audience, it's doubtful if it would have same effect in other regions.
Now that Haas F1 seems to be back on track (against all odds), maybe the best opportunity for Andretti will be to buy Aston Martin F1 from a pissed off Stroll - targetting 2024 could be the right timing...
