Andretti believes that the protest front related to his entry into F1 is a matter of money
Since publicly stating his desire to make it to F1, apart from Alpine and McLaren, teams have offered him little support. A situation that annoys the American, but does not diminish his determination.
After the surprising announcement at the beginning of the year, of the Andretti association with General Motors and specifically Cadillac, Michael Andretti thought he had finally ticked all the boxes.
Despite this support, he still comes up against a wall in the paddock and doesn’t hide his frustration.
In an interview with Forbes magazine, he counters his critics.
“It’s a matter of money,” declared Andretti. “Firstly, they think they will get their income diluted by one tenth, but they also become very pessimistic thinking that we will also take all the American sponsors.”
« It’s all about greed and looking at the numbers without considering what is best for the overall growth of sports. »
He who always wishes to arrive as quickly as possible in the premier category can nevertheless rely on the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, but is not surprised, he specified. In Formula 1, the owners take care of themselves, and not what is best for the series.
This is the difference between the position of President Mohammed and the position of the sports owner. President Mohammed ensures the future of sports.
« Mohammed understands. He is a runner and he understands that the series needs one or two additional teams. It is a championship of the FIA, and he holds most of the cards to generate interest.
He, however, assures that he is not discouraged by this situation, but more determined than ever. « You must remain focused on your work and not listen to opposition. In fact, I use opponents as a source of motivation. It is always fun to silence them. »
A rebadged engine for its arrival in Formula 1?
Some teams doubt Cadillac’s involvement, assuming that if the team arrives in three years, they will likely use a Renault engine.
« It’s a rumor – it’s not true – Cadillac will be very involved in the making of the car. If we enter, in 2025, there won’t be a new engine yet, so we will have to use one of those that is currently being used. »
« But in 2026, there are things we can do with other engine manufacturers. It wouldn’t be a badged engine, because there would be Cadillac intellectual property in this engine, so it’s not a badged engine. »
To be one of the best Formula 1 teams.
If he manages to get to Formula 1, Andretti won’t come to just make an appearance.
“We are arriving, in a serious manner,” declared Andretti. “It will take a lot of time to get there, but ultimately, we want to be one of the best Formula 1 teams. Our ultimate goal is to compete for the world championship in five or six years.”
We want to compete and run against the best in the world. We do not underestimate this. It will be a long process of construction, but we have a good plan to achieve it.
