Ferrari, Williams Hope F1 Says No to Andretti Formula 1 Entry

Michael Andretti’s application to join the Formula 1 grid was approved by governing body the FIA on Monday.The Andretti Cadillac bid now awaits final approval from Formula One Management (FOM).While individual teams don't directly have a vote in the matter, many have been weighing in on the discussion.

If Michael Andretti picks up the phone to call Formula 1 teams for support of his proposed Andretti Cadillac F1 entry, he won’t have much luck with Ferrari and Williams.

Andretti’s application to join the Formula 1 grid was approved by governing body the FIA on Monday, but the operation must now undertake commercial discussions with Formula 1. Formula 1, which is owned by Liberty Media, has been lukewarm to the prospect of expanding the grid beyond the current 10 teams.

The majority of the teams—who may have an influence, but who do not directly have a vote in the final matter—have also been against expanding the grid because of the impact to their income. There is an anti-dilution fund, in effect an entry fee, set at $200 million, which would be paid by a new entrant and divided equally between the 10 existing teams, but there has been a push to substantially increase this figure in the next set of rules due to come out in 2026.

McLaren has been broadly supportive of Andretti, given the partnership between fellow Americans Zak Brown and Michael Andretti in other categories, while Alpine has been in favor owing to Andretti’s expected deal to run Renault power units.

Two of Formula 1’s historically most successful outfits, Ferrari and Williams, say they are not specifically anti-Andretti, but are more than happy to keep the grid at the current 10 teams.

“My thoughts are very clear,” said Williams team prinicpal James Vowles. “Williams is against the addition of an 11th team, and very strongly against, but I’ll explain the reasons behind that and why.”

Vowles explained that his responsibility “is to 900 employees” and pointed to the “tens of millions” of dollars that Williams is currently investing to upgrade its facilities.

“We believe the way in which the sport is going and the direction of travel,” he said. “In order to do that, and the reason why is we actually have I think a sustainable entity (Formula 1) for once, teams are working more and more together, we have closer racing, but it should be known this is not just us that are not financially stable, I’d say probably half the grid aren’t. I’d say the addition of an 11th team is a sensible thing, but only at the point where the 10th team on the grid is financially stable.”

Vowles emphasized that Williams is “not against Andretti or GM, quite the opposite” but reiterated that “we’re very careful on protecting the sport we have right now.

“What we’re looking for is that pie to grow significantly enough that we’re not losing money or elements but gaining, and there is opportunity to do that. The FIA is looking at whether that individual has sufficient funding and facilities and that was all certified and signed off and makes sense. What I’m now talking about is as an individual with responsibility on my shoulders, is how does the pie grow from this that I’m not having to ask my board, my owners, for even more money again, because right now that’s the direction of travel and that’s our concerns.”

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said that “it is not a secret that I’m not a big fan,” of expanding the grid beyond 10 teams.

“We have to keep in mind three to four years ago we had almost half the grid quite close to bankruptcy and we have to avoid to be arrogant. F1 is in a life cycle, we don’t know (what) could well happen before 2030,” said Vasseur.

“I didn’t have access to the dossier of Andretti. The first question is what is the added value to F1, we have already a 10th team that is American that is Haas, we have an American driver on the grid, the question for me around that is what could be the added value (of Andretti).”