Andretti-Cadillac Shake-Up: New Twist in F1 Saga

Mario Andretti teases upcoming changes in Andretti F1-Cadillac’s bid, sparking fresh speculation about the team’s Formula 1 ambitions.

Mario Andretti shared updates on the Andretti F1 – Cadillac team project following the shocking news of Michael Andretti’s withdrawal.

Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, approved Andretti-Cadillac—an alliance between Andretti Global and General Motors’ Cadillac brand—to join the F1 grid as a new 11th team. However, Formula One Management was less supportive and rejected the application.

In October, the shocking announcement came that Michael Andretti would step down from daily management duties at Andretti Global, the team he has led since 2002.

With Michael set to “serve as an advisor to the team” in the future, many questions remain about the Andretti-Cadillac application. Mario, Michael’s father and the 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, was asked to provide the latest updates on the situation.

He hinted that the story is far from over.

“This is a matter concerning my son Michael and his company, not me,” Mario told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“What I can say is that there will be news and changes coming to the application, and I fully support my son in all the decisions and choices he has made during this period and will make in the future to manage the situation as best he can.”

Should Andretti-Cadillac join the F1 grid, they would become the second American team alongside Haas F1.

Formula 1 has seen a surge in popularity in the United States, spurred by the success of Netflix’s hit documentary series Drive to Survive. The F1 calendar now includes three U.S.-based races: the Miami Grand Prix, the United States Grand Prix, and the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

This newfound love for Formula 1, as Mario described it, was once “unimaginable.”

“It’s something extraordinary. In all my years in the United States, I’ve never seen such strong interest in Formula 1, not even in the 1960s, when it already had a following among Americans,” he said.

“There were decades when interest was almost nonexistent, and then suddenly, after the boom of Netflix’s series on the category, an unimaginable love for this sport erupted among Americans.”