F1 says no to Andretti but door open for 2028 with GM

LONDON : Formula One rejected on Wednesday a bid by U.S.-based Andretti to enter in 2025 or 2026, saying it doubted a proposed 11th team would be competitive or add value, but kept a door open for 2028 when General Motors could provide an engine.

The governing FIA last year approved the application, sending it on to Liberty Media-owned Formula One Management (FOM) for discussions, and the outcome left the regulator once again at odds with the commercial rights holder.

Existing teams had opposed expansion, arguing it would reduce their value after spending billions on the sport and also dilute the share of the revenues while giving an entry to Andretti on the cheap.

FOM concluded in a detailed statement setting out their reasoning that the application "should not be successful".

"Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship," it explained.

"The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant."

Formula One said it would look differently on an application for 2028 "either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team designing all allowable components in-house".

"In this case there would be additional factors to consider in respect of the value that the applicant would bring to the championship, in particular in respect of bringing a prestigious new OEM (car maker) to the sport as a PU supplier."

The sport said a 2025 entry would have involved "a novice entrant building two completely different cars in its first two years of existence".

"The fact that the applicant proposes to do so gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope