When F1 pushed back on Andretti's entry bid earlier this year, it caused considerable upheaval. For a long time, it seemed the American team could whistle for a place on the grid, not that its ambitions were dented. On home soil and in Europe, Andretti continues to build, intent on becoming a future F1 team. It still has hope of being on the grid in 2026. Many employees of other F1 teams have been approached and switched to Andretti, firm in the belief it will one day compete. That belief is reinforced by intriguing words from Mario Andretti. "It's a matter for my son Michael and his company, not me," he recently told Gazzetta dello Sport . "What I can say is that news and changes are coming, and my full support goes to my son for all the decisions and choices he has made during this period." Michael Andretti recently left his role as CEO of Andretti Global. Possibly, it was a strategic move, as Mario revealed earlier this year that Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media, had told him in Miami he would do everything in his power to prevent an entry. It was announced this week that Maffei will be standing down from his role at the end of the year, fuelling speculation that a solution for Andretti and its F1 ambitions is now being worked on behind the scenes. Is that, then, the main argument for Andretti to remain fully committed to a possible 2026 entry?
Andretti heavily recruiting
It could also be the American team has great faith in an investigation by the U.S. government. It is looking at whether the block on Andretti's bid was justified and whether F1 is using a 'closed-competition' format. Can Andretti force its participation this way AND find an engine supplier in time? General Motors will only be able to supply an exclusive engine from 2028, which means Andretti will have to strike a deal with a current engine supplier before 2026. At one stage, a deal seemed possible with Renault, but the French manufacturer announced recently it would be quitting F1 at the end of 2025. The fact is, Andretti is ploughing on full steam ahead. It has already conducted crash tests on, for example, the nose of its future F1 car, and there are rumours it has the chassis ready for 2026. An advantage it has over its rivals is that it can fully focus on 2026, whereas the current 10 teams still have to navigate their way through next season. Andretti is doing so with a team of about 250 people, with numbers continuing to rise due to a strong recruitment campaign. Even though Andretti has no guarantees over its future, people are daring to take a risk by joining the team. It shows confidence is high at Andretti, even in terms of finances as the investment per year runs into the tens of millions of dollars. As Mario has highlighted, something is clearly afoot at Andretti. Watch this space.
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