Michael Andretti to takeover existing F1 team?? Reports . . .

No better way to increase your ROI than a quick sale.

 

Cheap if Andretti changes nothing lol. Nothing cheap about this. Haas if he sells won’t be looking to just toss it away.

 

This is not whether you "like Michael" or not. Its what happened when Ron Dennis picked him to join McLaren along side Senna and what he did in that period.

Michael blamed his poor performance on McLaren saying that Senna was getting all the attention and even accused them of sabotage to make him look bad. Senna fans took this as a slam to Senna claiming the only way he was winning was from preferential treatment or outright cheating. I can't say I blame them. Ron didn't like that (or his poor showings) and blamed it (along with the British media) on Michael's lack of understanding of International tracks and his lack of testing because he was always flying back home. They felt he was scapegoating his lack of performance on the team.

Look, you can rewrite history all you want but Michael was mocked and jeered repeatedly even before the season and certainly during. Michael could not handle the British press and his coming from CART didn't help as it was viewed as something crude and unsophisticated from "good ol boys" tinkering around. That was just the attitude back then. It may be different now since Alonso took a shine to the 500.

But there are still people in F1 who have a grudge against Michael, as there is for just about anyone from America being in F1.

 

He has value in the operation. Access and exposure to world markets. There are significant intangibles along with his physical equipment. The potential of the operation will not be discounted in a sale.

 

My only guess was/is Haas.

I wonder if Michael is bidding against Mazepin Sr ??

 

Mazepin was already denied a sale once. Certainly there is no bias against corrupt Russian wealth at the FIA


With Liberty DESPERATE for gain more out of the US market, I sense another failed sale if Mazepin is serious and Haas is actually up for sale at all. I can see this going to Andretti over Mazepin and quite easily lol.

The little playboy Mazepin will be out of a job rather quickly as well.......

 

AFAIK, the Haas team doesn't have a wind tunnel, or composite facilities.
The design and contruction is done by Dalarra.
Just like Eddie Jordan did years ago, Gene Haas started his F1 team with the minimum investment, outsourcing many aspects of the operation.

 

Why?


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Non sense… it was years ago and he just sucked period


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I remember that it was Michael's lack of commitment to spending the needed time in Europe that made him non competitive. I also remember all sorts of rumors of not getting equal equipment and other stuff. I don't remember hearing it from Michael, but that was 30 years ago. I do remember Michael saying that he just couldn't get used to braking so late into the turns. For several reasons, he never became one with the car, and that caused his failure and his exit. But would he make the same mistake as a team owner? And how is any new team going to get up to speed with the ultra limited amount of testing? You are forced to outsource your R&D to suppliers, or spend giant amounts of money...giants amount. But now with budget caps, I don't see how back marker teams can catch up. There are now A teams and junior B teams. The top three teams represent 60% of the grid. I don't consider Haas a "Ferrari team"...they just sell Gene stuff and hand the money to Alfa Romeo. The entire Haas team should be canned and eliminated from the grid. No one will ever notice their two cars not being there. After the first lap, 18 cars will look the same as 20. And raising $250 million is way to little money to go F1 racing. I don't think it will come to anything.

 

+1 Michael and his wife were not terribly sophisticated people and weren't comfortable outside the USA. Mario made a similar observation about Parnelli Jones regarding the 1975 season.

 

Mario, LIKE.
Michael, CANNOT STAND.
Marco, .... My reply would be P&R....

 

Michael:....'can't get a decent cheeseburger in Gay Paree'. Dripping with sarcasm. That's what I remember.
Hard to succeed with that attitude.

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My thoughts also...

 

The article didn't seem to dismiss Haas, just indicated it was just an early conversation. It sounds like Haas, Williams or Sauber are the candidates. I would still say it's Haas, with the other two names thrown in for leverage.

 

Michael's approach was certainly clumsy and while he grew up in small town America perhaps Mario of whom I am a resolute fan, could have schooled him better in adapting to the old world and its MO's.

Ron Dennis was a great team manager but not a good communicator at all so he did not help the situation whereas a more urbane educated one might have turned things around.

I am sure Michael has a much better understanding of Europe and F1 now.

As to your perceived grudge against him among F1 people...you fail to take into account many years have passed; I lived in Silverstone in the late 80's when I was racing and saw some of that negative attitude towards the US in UK racing folks' mentalities but attitudes have changed, maybe old uneducated fans at the pub but who cares, not anyone with any power or brains in the paddock. To the contrary everyone now realizes full well the importance of the American market for the health of F1, how positive Austin has been, the second GP in Miami and now the need for either Haas to be more competitive or for another US GP team to appear or morph out of Haas...and for a US driver.

And yes Indycar is far more appreciated and respected in Europe now that the internet, live streaming and the passage of Fernando, the good results obtained by very good European drivers who never had the right car in F1 have had their very positive impact. More and more people in Europe watch Indycar because the races are so full of action and unpredictable.

 

I would offer Toro Rosso/Alphi Tauri as a suggestion.

A few years ago, Dieter Mateschitz wanted to sell that outfit, but couldn't find a buyer for his junior team.

Now, the Red Bull boss may need money to finance Red Bull Powertrains to take over from Honda.

I know it's a long shot .....

 

One thing's for certain: Dieter Mateschitz is in NO NEED of money! However, like any astute businessman, he might want to offload Alpha Tauri to somewhat offset the cost of Red Bull Powertrains.

 

How much financing does Michael Andretti have available to him?

 

He may be the front man for a group of investors.

 

I hope they have deep pockets. It is like buying an exotic car, the buy-in can be not so bad, but you need to maintain it.

 

That's always the case when buying an ailing business: you have to plan funds for revamping and restructuring it. Often it's as much as the purchase price, if not more!
That's where many investors fail.