"I’m not sure it makes sense" - Alfa Romeo joins Mercedes in opposing Andretti's entry into F1
Another F1 team has joined Mercedes in opposing the potential inclusion of the Andretti name in the form of Alfa Romeo.
Frederic Vasseur, team principal at the Hinwil-based squad, has raised doubts about Michael Andretti's plans to join the sport as a constructor from the 2024 season onwards.
Earlier in the year, former world champion Mario Andretti confirmed that his son Michael had applied for entry into the series with the FIA and was waiting on a decision from the governing body.
The bid has received mixed reactions, with some teams being open to the idea while others questioning the credibility of the American outfit's ambitions.
Red Bull, Williams, McLaren, and Alpine have been welcoming, with the latter on course to share the same Power Unit (PU) with Andretti if they do join after striking a deal with Renault.
Mercedes have been the biggest obstacle for Andretti, with Toto Wolff not entirely convinced by the American team's plans. Andretti, in turn, feels there are double standards at play with the Silver Arrows having no issue with Audi's plans to buy their way into a team and enter the sport. Porsche is also in talks to finalize a partnership with Red Bull.
Now, in an interview carried by racer.com, Vasseur seems to have sided with the Austrian. He said:
“When we spoke about the 11th team, it was three years ago, we took the example of Porsche and said ‘OK imagine if you have someone like Porsche that wants to join F1 and wants to do it on their own, does it make sense for us to open the door?’. And in this case you say ‘Yes, for sure’, because it would add huge value to the paddock, it would be another engine manufacturer and don’t forget that at this stage we were at risk.”
Vasseur went on to add:
“So that’s why we started saying we could open the door. I don’t want to speak about Andretti because it’s not personal, but to add another team doing the same things as the others with no big added value, I’m not sure it makes sense today.”
Mario Andretti seeks specific reasons for objections from F1 teams
Mario Andretti has made it clear that he wants clear and specific reasons for objections from the F1 teams opposing his son's bid to enter the sport.
Michael has applied to the FIA to field a new F1 team starting in 2024. His entry, Andretti Global, has the resources and checks every box. He is awaiting the FIA's determination.
In an extensive interview with MotorLAT, the 82-year-old confessed to feeling slighted by these objections from teams who haven't been around for as long as his side.
When asked if he had the backing of any teams on the grid, the 1978 world champion said:
“I think so for sure. We have some. Some of the ones that don’t want us, I don’t know why. Give us specific reasons and maybe we’ll see if we can fix it. Tell us exactly where the objection is and maybe we can shed some light on something like that.”
F1 has been expanding its reach in America ever since Liberty Media Group took over from Bernie Ecclestone in 2017. The 2023 season is scheduled to host three races stateside and this could lead to fans wanting more American representation in the sport in the years to come.
Michael Andretti has also asked for the chance to join the F1 grid in the future to be decided through a bidding war, admitting he would beat everybody out for the prize.