According to Mario Andretti, work is steadfastly progressing at the self-hoped-for newcomer, as if the team already had the commitment for Formula 1
Even though Andretti is still waiting for a confirmation from the FIA that they can compete as a new Formula 1 team in 2024 and is facing a lot of headwind, Michael Andretti has by no means given up on his dream and the project. On the contrary: the team is working tirelessly to make it onto the grid despite all the obstacles.
“We really give our best, every single day,” Mario Andretti, the father of team boss Michael Andretti, emphasises to ‘Sky’. According to him, the team is working every day to get the official commitment. “And we continue as if we already have it.”
The 1978 world champion knows that his son is taking a big risk by doing so because there is no guarantee that they will be accepted into Formula One. “But that’s how badly we want to make it,” he says, seeing the effort as a sign.
He continues to hope that the FIA will be signalled that Andretti is a serious project. The Americans had announced in the spring that they wanted to join Formula 1 as an independent team in 2024 and wanted a timely commitment for their plans.
However, the plans were received very frostily. Most of the other teams are opposed to coming in because they fear for their share of the pie despite a set entry fee of $200 million to be shared among the existing teams.
And Formula One boss Stefano Domenicali had also repeatedly stressed that Formula One does not need an additional team and prefers to rely on its ten existing racing teams.
At Andretti, they stressed that they had the support of FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and went ahead with their plans unimpressed. Among other things, it was to start building its own Formula One factory in Indianapolis in August.
“We are spending money to get the ball rolling because we believe we will hopefully get the commitment,” Michael Andretti had said in May. “We’re taking a risk, but we think it’s worth the risk. Because we need to get the ball rolling.”
Nothing seems to have changed in that regard yet. But neither has the lack of a commitment
