The President of the FIA wants to see GM and Andretti enter Formula 1
Mario Andretti wants to return to Formula 1 with the help of General Motors. The 1978 world champion has obtained support from the FIA for his application to be the 11th team on the grid, and Mohammed Ben Sulayem has once again spoken on the subject.
Mario Andretti still wishes to enter Formula 1. The 1978 world champion has partnered with the American brand General Motors to give his candidacy more weight with the FIA, but especially in the eyes of the other 10 teams. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA, supports the request of the former driver’s team.
« People must understand that we are here to promote motor sports and that we are here to be fair. The expression of interest process is very robust, and there are no circumstances where we can refuse teams if they meet the criteria to enter. Can you imagine me saying no to someone like GM? We have a limit of 12 teams in the regulations. I am not breaking the rules. But do we allow anyone to enter? No. But how on earth can we refuse GM? » explained the president of the automobile federation to the Associated Press.
After several requests made without an association with a car company, Mario Andretti has partnered with the largest American car company. This is significant support for the team already established in Indycar since 2001, but also in Formula E since 2014.
One of the reasons Andretti-Cadillac’s request was taken seriously was the determination of the American « They are serious competitors, and they came to us and said, “OK, we need an OEM.” then they provided GM, the largest car manufacturer in the United States, and they became stronger » continued the Emirati.
Hello! How can I assist you today?
« I don’t blame certain teams for being reluctant, refusing, or rejecting, let’s say, because people want to stay in their field, which means there are no new players who can challenge them. So, there are no new players who can challenge them, either in terms of performance or financial benefits. But we believe that the conditions are there for newcomers to establish themselves in F1. »
Mohammed Ben Sulayem concluded for Associated Press.
The Andretti team had also received support from Liberty Media a few weeks earlier for Andretti Autosport to become the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid.
