The American Congress questions Liberty Media about refusing to bring Andretti into F1

A new twist in the saga opposing Formula 1 and Mario Andretti. If up to now the battle was internal to F1, this time the story has taken on a larger dimension, as the U.S. Congress itself has taken up the matter.

The Republican representative from Michigan, John James, who represents a region associated with General Motors, took part in a press conference in front of the United States Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, alongside Mario Andretti, Formula 1 world champion in 1978 and owner of the Andretti Global team.

Formula One Management, of which Liberty is owner, rejected Andretti’s offer as its evaluation process determined that the presence of an 11th team would not add value to the championship on its own and would place undue financial pressure on current race organizers.

With 11 other members of Congress, John James sent a letter asking for explanations to Liberty Media. They expressed their concern about potential anticompetitive actions that could prevent two American companies, Andretti Global and General Motors (GM), from performing and competing in Formula 1.

A big support for Andretti

He also questioned the fact that FOM allows Andretti to seize the 11th place from 2028 to make sure to receive more money if F1 continues its rapid commercial expansion,”Is it a money grab?” he told NBC News. One might wonder: Is Formula 1, Liberty Media, postponing the deadline to get a better deal for itself, going from $200 million to $1 billion taken from Andretti-Cadillac. In the meantime, commitment has been shown by Andretti-Cadillac, I think, to the tune of millions of dollars per month in preparation to meet all compliance standards.

« We hope to be able to resolve this to do business together in our mutual interest, but above all for America. But otherwise, we will get answers to our questions. Because we have an obligation to protect the American consumer, to protect American businesses, and that is our first allegiance. And those who seek to take advantage of it will be held accountable. This is not just about supporting Andretti. It’s about supporting Americans. »

The representative raised the issue with Jim Jordan, chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives. This could lead to a more in-depth examination of Andretti’s place refusal on the grid by calling on Liberty’s leaders to explain themselves to the government.

We showed that we were ready

Mario Andretti, 84, said of the case of his team: “We did everything that was asked of us. I proudly represented the United States in my F1 career. My proudest moments were standing on the podium with the American national anthem playing.”

« Formula 1 has become very present now in the United States with three races, which is unprecedented. We have shown that we are ready with all the tools available, with fantastic partners by our side.

« We just have to get the green light. Give us the green light and let us do our job. We are the only candidates approved by the FIA for Formula 1, and we have only one more step to take.

He said he was satisfied to receive this significant support. « We are grateful to the bipartisan members of Congress for their support in the face of this anti-competitive behavior, explains the team in a statement. « We remain committed to starting the first team and engine manufacturer based in the United States in F1, and to offer American fans a team to support. We hope for a quick resolution so that Andretti Cadillac can be approved on the grid in 2026. »