The European Commission sees no legal breach in F1’s rejection of Andretti and declines to investigate competition law concerns further.
The European Commission has determined that it cannot rule on whether F1 violated EU anti-competition laws in the Andretti case, following the American team’s rejection by Liberty Media and other teams.
Last month, European Parliament member Christine Anderson raised a question about whether the rejection of Andretti constituted a breach of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Anderson argued that F1’s owners and incumbent teams were acting as “a cartel” by blocking Andretti, and that competition laws could allow the team to enter Formula 1.
In response to Anderson’s written question, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, stated in her capacity as Commissioner for Competition and Markets that she saw no breach of the applicable regulations.
“Based on the limited information available regarding the alleged barriers to the entry of new teams in Formula 1, the Commission cannot determine whether these barriers result from anti-competitive conduct contrary to Article 101 and/or Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,” Vestager wrote.
“Consequently, the Commission currently has no plans to take action or investigate the impact of the alleged barriers on innovation, employment, and competitiveness in the motorsport and automotive sectors in the EU. However, the Commission remains open to examining any evidence of anti-competitive behavior that interested parties may bring to its attention.”
A separate inquiry is ongoing in the United States Congress, with both the House of Representatives and the Senate involved. It is from there that Andretti Global may find hope, as the American camp has expressed confidence in recent days about finally gaining access to the premier category.
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European Commission Rules Out Probe Into Andretti Block European Commission Rules Out Probe Into Andretti Block
