The US Congress is investigating the blockade of Andretti’s Formula 1 entry bid by Liberty Media, demanding urgent responses.
The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee of the United States has launched an investigation into Formula 1 and Liberty Media regarding the decision-making process that blocked Andretti’s entry bid.
Representative Jim Jordan sent a letter on Tuesday to Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and F1 CEO and President Stefano Domenicali demanding documents related to the “evaluation process for the entry of new teams” concerning Andretti, and even those between F1, Liberty Media, and the current 10 teams on the topic.
Jordan has given a deadline of May 21 at 5 PM to respond.
This move by the Republican comes a week after 12 bipartisan members of Congress wrote to F1 and Liberty seeking answers about the rejection of Andretti’s bid following business negotiations with F1 in January.
The application had already successfully passed all the technical and sporting tests of the FIA but was rejected, at least for 2026, after F1 determined that Andretti had underestimated the level of difficulty in joining the grid and also that it would not add sufficient value to the sport.
One reason some of the existing 10 teams were lukewarm about Andretti’s proposed entry was the fact that they would potentially receive a smaller share of the overall revenue, despite Andretti’s claims that it would actually enlarge the common pot and thus revenues for all.
At the Miami Grand Prix, a few days after meeting Jordan among others, Mario Andretti confirmed that the team still plans to be on the grid by 2026.
The team has also recently opened an entirely new technical base in Silverstone.
F1 has not completely closed the door on Andretti’s offer, with the planned engine by Cadillac (General Motors group) being a potential lifeline. If GM and Cadillac manage to produce a power unit for 2028, F1 has indicated it would reconsider the merits of the bid.
US Congress Probes Andretti’s F1 Entry Blockade. US Congress Probes Andretti’s F1 Entry Blockade.
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