Andretti issue huge update on Formula 1 push as ‘key meeting’ looms

Andretti Global’s new facility at Silverstone is unveiled.

1978 World Champion Mario Andretti has confirmed that Andretti Global will soon meet with Formula One Management in a bid to achieve approval at last to join the grid.

The union of Andretti Global and General Motors manufacturer Cadillac has been pushing hard to join the Formula 1 grid as a new 11th team, earning the support of governing body the FIA, though Formula 1 put a major roadblock in front of the prospective American outfit by rejecting their bid.

Andretti confirm ‘key meeting’ looms with FOM

Nonetheless, Andretti-Cadillac has been ploughing on with their Formula 1 preparations, which has included the opening of their new base at Silverstone in a fresh statement of intent.

Mario’s son Michael Andretti has also confirmed that GM is still committed to becoming an F1 power unit manufacturer from 2028, so with all the ingredients coming together, the final hurdle is to finally get the green light from FOM.

And Mario has confirmed that a meeting will soon take place in an effort to achieve it.

“We’re continuously working on it every day, regardless of what was represented to the press so far,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I think that we have a valid approach to it.

“The FIA has put us through the ringer, if you will, for us to be able to check all the boxes and we have one more blessing that we need from the FOM, but we’re having a key meeting coming up and hopefully we have some positive results from that.”

PlanetF1.com recommends

Stars and racing stripes: Six American teams that failed to crack F1

Ranked: The top 10 American drivers in Formula 1 history

The Andretti rejection statement from Formula 1 was rather brutal and included doubts over their ability to hit the ground running as a competitive team.

Mario though stressed that preparations are already advanced – including having a car in Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne – with the goal being to join the F1 grid in 2026.

“We have never stopped working from the very beginning,” he said. “We already have a car in the wind tunnel and so forth. Right now the objective is to be on a grid in 2026.

“There’s so many key elements here to be defined once we have a total, ‘Okay’. Because even personnel, very experienced individuals that want to join us and we have to have a positive ‘yes’ that we’re going to go before we obviously extend a contract.

“Once we get the ‘okay’, we don’t start from scratch. We are already on our way.”

2016 marked the last time that Formula 1 had 11 teams on the grid, with 10 having been the stable number since.