Formula 1 | Andretti ‘masterstroke’ to try to break into F1

The former Formula 1 team boss hailed Mario (pictured) and Michael Andretti’s approach to entering the sport, saying other teams and F1 were now under pressure.

In early January, Andretti announced it had the backing of a major manufacturer to become the 11th team on the starting grid, with American giant General Motors looking to enter the Cadillac brand.

While FIA ​​president Mohammed Ben Sulayem welcomed the association, F1 and other teams have given the news a more mixed reception as they are reluctant to share more of their financial revenue.

But according to Peter Windsor, one time manager of the Ferrari and Williams F1 teams, Andretti did something “stroke of genius” because it will be very difficult for the opponents of the project to stay like this for a long time.

“Michael’s approach is: ‘OK, I’ll try to get into Formula 1 like Michael Andretti and see what happens.’

“All the existing teams will say to him, ‘You’re welcome, Michael, but no, you’re not going to get a piece of the pie. If you want to get in, you have to get one of us.”

“And Michael will tell them, ‘I’m not going to waste my money buying one of you guys, I want my new team and run it the way I want, and it’s going to be Andretti Global.'” And the others will be like, ‘Well, that’s not going to happen.’

“But now with the potential merger with General Motors and Cadillac as a power unit supplier, convincing teams to give it a new structure is no longer a problem, because I think Liberty Media will be really willing to do it.”

“I think it’s Michael Andretti’s masterwork because he’s using the General Motors and Cadillac link to say to Formula 1: ‘You don’t want an American engine manufacturer the size of General Motors in F1?’ Are you sure?””

“It’s a pretty big deal. And of course Liberty depends on saying to the existing teams, ‘Sorry, guys, it’s going to happen and it’s going to benefit you all.'”

“Now if the teams start paying Andretti extra to make up for the money they’re losing, that’s another matter. They probably won’t and I’m sure they won’t.”

“But Liberty will try to tell them that because of this, General Motors will open the door to big American corporate money, and Formula 1 in the United States and as a group, as a company, as an industry, we’ll all have more money as a result, and now to confirm that in the U.S. We also have three races.”

“They’re probably going to say that, and I suspect it’s going to happen.”

“Some teams will say, ‘Yeah, OK, that makes sense,’ and others will say, ‘Andetti’s not going to get a piece of my cake.'” It’s a perennial problem.

It will be difficult for General Motors to say “no” to Formula 1

With the introduction of new engine regulations due to come into effect in 2026, Audi has already announced it will be participating in the sport by this deadline. But unlike Andretti, who wanted to build his own structure, the German manufacturer has joined forces with an already existing team, namely Sauber.

While some teams say they fear the potential arrival of General Motors is simply a way for the manufacturer to show its brand name in F1, Windsor believes it would not make much sense to see the discipline dismissed.

“With the engine regulations changing in 2026 and the FIA ​​and Liberty saying, ‘We wrote these regulations to encourage new manufacturers like Audi or General Motors to come into the sport,’ it’s difficult for F1 to say no.”

“Obviously, Audi is coming with an existing team, and other teams would like that. They want General Motors to call them and say, ‘Look, we’d like to finance your power unit for the next ten years.’ As a goodwill gesture, we would like to transfer half a billion dollars to your account tomorrow, and we have another three billion in the next five years.”

“That’s what every current Formula 1 team would like to see happen. But it’s not going to happen.”

“I wish Michael the best of luck in fighting the current, because he found a good argument: ‘Do you really want to say no to General Motors?’ Because I can tell you that the only way to bring them is with me, and if you say no, then there will be no General Motors in Formula 1. This is a great boost.”