“We have to be clear about what we’re getting into, namely a lot of politics and the like. But that’s just how Formula 1 is and we have to deal with that,” says Michael Andretti in a “Bloomberg” video. And he admits: “I didn’t think it would be so difficult to join Formula 1.” Nevertheless, he wants to continue to hold on to his big dream.
Because Andretti is convinced that once his team has the approval, “then we’ll prove ourselves. They all think we’re a bunch of hillbillies and think we don’t know what we’re doing. But we have a lot of experience in motorsport and may have a different perspective. And that could work.”
Former racing driver Andretti emphasizes that he and his team would approach the Formula 1 project very differently than the existing US racing team Haas. “They have no infrastructure and don’t build the car themselves,” says Andretti.
In principle, Haas is nothing more than a “small Ferrari”. Reason: “Haas buys as much as possible from Ferrari and even uses Ferrari engineers. Using the cars on the racetrack is probably the easiest thing.”
Andretti is facing a completely different challenge by wanting to handle the entire project. “We have to build our car ourselves, and that’s no small feat,” says Andretti. “In IndyCars you buy the car and play from the start. But in Formula 1 you build your car from scratch.”
And because his team has a “fantastic plan,” his project will be successful, says Andretti. “GM and Cadillac are behind us. That’s one word. That’s why I believe: We have everything it takes to be a competitive team one day.”
“More cars can only help Formula 1”
“Hopefully we can reach an agreement with Formula 1 so that we can join. And if we could join, that would be great for the racing series. Because we believe: More cars can only help Formula 1.”
“Of course it costs a piece of the pie, the prize money and so on. But we think we can contribute more than we take out. It would be a truly American team with an American driver, with a car built in the USA and with an American one drive. And I think that should create a lot of interest in America.”
If Andretti wins the contract, but that is by no means certain. Although the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has already given its consent, Formula 1 must also give its approval. And what if that doesn’t happen? Then Michael Andretti would be “naturally disappointed,” he admits. “But I’m not giving up. Then we’ll think about something.”