Fresh hope for Andretti? Negotiations back on track after initial breakdown

Keen to supply more than just their own team when F1’s new engine regulations come into effect in 2026, Bruno Famin has revealed Alpine have re-engaged in talks with Andretti.

That, of course, depends on the American team getting the go-ahead from Formula 1 to join the grid.

Although Andretti-Cadillac passed the FIA’s stringent application process to become the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid, their arrival is by no means guaranteed with the teams, and even FOM, not sold on the idea.

Alpine are willing to step up for Andretti

As the process dragged on, initially from the FIA’s side and now Formula 1’s, Andretti’s pre-agreement with Alpine’s parent company Renault expired.

That added yet another hurdle for the F1 hopeful to have to jump through as they won’t have a Cadillac engine until 2028 at the earliest with the team hoping to feature on the grid as early as 2026.

That means they need a two-year stop-gap.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem vowed to make that happen one way or another even if it meant ordering one of the sport’s existing engine manufacturers to supply the team.

“It works that, with the rules, nobody can say no to them,” he said. “If all the teams say no, then the FIA has the power to go on and say, the least two [engine manufacturers] being used, then we put them in a draw, and we take one.”

But while that could irk the forced candidate, the good news is Alpine are willing to step into the breach.

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“We are talking to Andretti and to General Motors,” interim team boss Famin said as per racingnews365.com.

“We are happy to talk to them, if they have an entry we are happy to resume the talks.

“For the time being it’s a bit on standby but not due to us. It’s because the time and the length of the process is much longer than expected.

“First on the FIA side, the FIA took much more time to answer than they said they would at the beginning.

“The ball is on the Formula 1 side. If they have an entry we are happy to discuss with somebody.

“What I said last time is that we had a pre-contract. The pre-contract has expired.

“Factually right now we don’t have any commitment or any legal commitment with them, but we’re happy to talk to them and to see what we can do together.

“If they have an entry, it’s because they will have demonstrated that they will bring you a lot of added value to Formula 1 and that the value of the championship on all the teams will not be diluted due to that.”

Formula 1, though, has yet to decide on Andretti’s participation.

“I would say nothing too high on that,” F1 chief Stefano Domenicali told Sky F1 in Abu Dhabi when asked if Andretti would get the go-ahead to race. “There is a process on the commercial side on that respect and when we are ready, we will give the answer.

“We don’t feel any pressure on that. We need to do the right job, that’s our duty.”

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