01 ANDRETTI: CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR (YET)
The FIA has officially given Andretti Formula Racing the go-ahead to join Formula 1, but it’s far from certain the number of teams in the world’s premier racing championship will rise to 11 any time soon. For now, the prospects of a major brawl breaking out are greater than those of the grid expanding.
The process of inviting new teams was formally launched in February by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who remains the main proponent of grid expansion and the most high-profile of the Andretti supporters. Seven projects eventually responded to the FIA’s invitation but only one bid was deemed viable after a seven-month vetting process. In theory, it could make its debut as early as 2025.
NONE OF THIS, HOWEVER, MEANS ANDRETTI WILL BE GUARANTEED A PLACE ON THE GRID
Details of the application process have been revealed by sister publication Three applicants were eliminated in the first round. Hong Kong businessman Calvin Lo’s project, former BAR co-owner Craig Pollock’s Formula Equal pitch (an F1 team where 50 percent of the staff would be women), and South Korea’s Panthera dropped out when the FIA demanded a $280,000 fee each to study the
