Following a thorough evaluation process, the FIA announced on Monday the application submitted by Andretti Formula Racing” should progress to the next stage,” considering it meets the selection criteria established by the entity, which will refer it to FOM for commercial discussions.
Biding to become the 11th team in the FIA Formula One World Championship, Andretti has moved one step closer to fulfilling its goal as the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has approved the application submitted by the American brand, which now will pass to Formula One Management (FOM) for commercial discussion.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem commented: “The FIA was very clear in establishing stringent criteria for entry from the outset of the Expressions of Interest procedure.”
“Our objective, after rigorous due diligence during the application phase, was to only approve prospective entries that satisfied the set criteria and illustrated that they would add value to the sport.”
Last February, the FIA officially launched the call for Expression of Interest (Phase 1) for prospective new teams looking to “participate at a competitive level in the FIA Formula One World Championship.”
In that regard, Andretti Global and General Motors (GM), represented by the Cadillac brand, joined forces in pursuing the opportunity to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport “as soon as practical with at least one American driver,” the American powerhouses confirmed through an official statement released in January.
“The FIA is obliged to approve applications that comply with the Expressions of Interests application requirements, and we have adhered to that procedure in deciding that Andretti Formula Racing LLCs application would proceed to the next stage of the application process. In taking that decision, the FIA is acting in accordance with EU directives on motorsport participation and development,” Ben Sulayem added.
Furthermore, the FIA President outlined that Andretti Formula Racing “was the only entity that fulfills the selection criteria set in all material respects.”
The sports organization explained the assessment of the candidacies throughout Phase 2, stressing: “… the applicants were assessed on the sporting and technical ability, the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the Championship at a competitive level and the team’s experience and human resources.”
In addition, “the selection criteria also included sustainability management in line with the FIA’s ambition of achieving the sport’s goals for net-zero by 2030. Any prospective F1 team was also required to illustrate how they intend to achieve a positive societal impact through its participation in the sport.”
In a Press Release, Andretti-Cadillac addressed the FIA approval: “We appreciate the FIA’s rigorous, transparent, and complete evaluation process and are incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to compete in such a historic and prestigious championship.
“We look forward to engaging with all of the stakeholders in Formula 1 as we continue our planning to join the grid as soon as possible.”
Should the Andretti Formula Racing LLC candidacy reach a commercial deal with FOM in Phase 3, the Andretti Cadillac Team will come to life with plans to establish headquarters in the U.S. and a support facility in the U.K.
