FIA president reveals what will happen if Andretti fail to gain FOM approval

Jamie Woodhouse
Mohammed Ben Sulayem on the grid with Michael Andretti.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem talks to Michael Andretti.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says Andretti-Cadillac could still go racing without Formula One Management approval or the associated prize money, but is hopeful it will not come to that.

The FIA has already given the all-clear from their side for the union of Andretti Autosport and General Motors brand Cadillac to join the Formula 1 grid, but now the challenge is to convince F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and commercial rights holder Liberty Media to open the door.

Currently the signs are not promising though, F1 teams and management seemingly cold on the idea of letting Andretti-Cadillac in, to the point where Michael Andretti has taken the opposition as personal.

Andretti-Cadillac could race without FOM acceptance

While operational issues have been referenced, such as a lack of pit-lane space by teams laying out the reasons against Andretti-Cadillac, the main issue revolves around money, with teams concerned about an extra player getting in on the revenue distribution, sceptical that Andretti-Cadillac would grow the prize pot.

However, even if FOM did not approve Andretti, Ben Sulayem said that would not stop them competing in F1, as the FIA has given the licence, though he hopes that it does not reach this stage.

“What I’ve heard from the legal side is that they [FOM] can say no to the financial [element],” Ben Sulayem told Speedcafe.com.

“But the licence [to compete in F1] belongs to the FIA, so they [Andretti] would be running, but without getting any money, and I don’t think that would happen.

“For me, I am optimistic they [FOM] will not say no, but anything can happen. I just hope they don’t say no because it is so good for business, so good to sustain motorsport.”

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In response to the stern opposition from existing teams, Andretti said it was a “mystery” why that exists, as he affirmed the prospective team’s belief that they can generate increased revenue for Formula 1.

“It’s a mystery to me in some ways, why they’re pushing back,” Andretti told Sky Sports F1.

“You know, they say we’re slicing the pie, but I think the point is hopefully we bring in more than what we’re taking away, and we really believe that.

“I think if you look at the fan support and on all the surveys that have been done and things [like] that, we think that we’re going to add to it, not take away.”

Andretti are targeting joining the grid in F1 2025, with the ambition to run an American racer alongside an experienced F1 driver.

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