Trump's Role in Andretti-Cadillac's F1 Ambitions Revealed

Donald Trump’s potential influence could prove pivotal as Andretti-Cadillac navigates delicate challenges in their pursuit of a Formula 1 debut.

Mario Andretti hopes the path to Formula 1 for his son Michael’s Cadillac-backed project is no longer as “blocked.”

Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, the sport’s owner, is stepping down. He was one of the staunchest opponents of Michael Andretti’s entry—a personal matter, even.

New rumors also surfaced suggesting F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali might transition to MotoGP, recently acquired by Liberty Media, but these were quickly denied.

Before the U.S. elections, it was the Republicans who pushed the investigation into F1’s alleged anticompetitive behavior regarding the blocking of Andretti’s bid, backed by General Motors and Cadillac.

Like Maffei at Liberty, Michael Andretti has now stepped down from Andretti Global—and many sources view this as a behind-the-scenes arrangement that could finally clear the way for Andretti to enter F1’s pit lane.

“I want to be clear,” said Michael’s renowned father, Mario Andretti, “politics is certainly not a priority for me.”

“However, I’ve done my duty as a citizen, and I’m definitely not indifferent to the management of public affairs. That’s why I say I welcome Donald Trump’s return to the White House.”

Mario Andretti admits he knows Trump’s son, Donald Jr., well and believes he could help unlock the situation in this new context.

“This is clearly a very sensitive situation, where every word spoken can be misunderstood and cause new problems.”

“What can I say? On one hand, Michael is 62, and having a bit more time on his side certainly wouldn’t hurt. But there’s also another aspect: if his presence is seen as an obstacle to dialogue between Andretti Global and Formula 1, it might be a good reason to find a less obstructed situation.”

The 1978 World Champion confirmed that the Andretti-Cadillac project is “progressing” with the goal of debuting in F1 in 2026.