Andretti - Cadillac could be the 11th team in F1

Big news in the world of Formula 1 – Andretti has had its bid to become the 11th F1 team approved by the FIA.

Michael Andretti, chairman and CEO of Andretti Global, announced back in January this year that his motorsports outfit would link up with Cadillac to submit an official Expression of Interest in joining the sport.

The call for expressions “attracted numerous enquiries” said the FIA, with just four progressing to Phase 2 of the process. The second phase apparently involved “a robust process of due diligence” which included checks on the applicant’s sporting and technical ability, their funding, their experience and their commitment to sustainability.

The Andretti/Cadillac bid was the only one to pass this process, much to the annoyance of Rodin Cars’ billionaire boss David Dicker.

“Following the conclusion of a comprehensive application process for prospective teams seeking to participate at a competitive level in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile has concluded that the application by Andretti Formula Racing LLC should progress to the next stage,” reads an FIA statement.

Of course, this doesn’t mean there'll be 11 teams on the grid at the Qatar Grand Prix this coming weekend. The application will now be passed to Formula One Management (FOM) “for commercial discussions”. And as we already know, there are a fair few teams on the grid who object to new outfits joining the party and diluting the prize pots.

We reckon Andretti and Cadillac would be a fun all-American entry though. Back in January, Andretti said that its team would be based in the US with an additional support facility in the UK. It also made it clear that nabbing an American driver would be a top priority. Yeehaw indeed.

“Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity which fulfils the selection criteria that was set in all material respects,” said FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission. I also want to thank all prospective teams for their interest and participation.

“The Expressions of Interest process builds on the positive acceptance of the FIA’s 2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations among existing OEMs which has also attracted further commitment from Audi, Honda and Ford and interest from Porsche and General Motors.

“I would like to thank all of the FIA team members involved in the Expressions of Interest process for their tireless efforts in ensuring a diligent assessment of all of the applications received.”

STORY Greg Potts