F1 face major investigation into Andretti rejection

F1 owner Liberty Media faces an investigation into its denial of Andretti's bid to become the 11th team on the F1 grid.

The American corporation has been informed of an antitrust investigation by the United States Government, specifically the Department of Justice, into its handling of Andretti's application to join the F1 championship.

The owners of F1 have confirmed it will cooperate with the probe and fully comply with any requests for information.

This comes after United States Congresspeople and Senators called for the investigation in May after Mario Andretti appeared on the steps of the Capitol with representatives John James and Victoria Spartz to call out the perceived injustice.

Greg Maffei, president and CEO of Liberty Media, said: "There is a DoJ investigation, and we intend to fully cooperate with that investigation, including any related requests for information.

"We believe, our determination, F1's determination, was in compliance with all applicable US antitrust laws, and we've detailed the rationale for the decision, vis-a-vis Andretti, in prior statements."

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, initially approved Andretti's bid in October last year on sporting and technical grounds after conducting an Expressions of Interest process.

The matter then moved onto F1 to assess the financial legitimacy of Andretti. Following a fourth-month review, F1 announced at the end of January that on numerous counts Andretti did not meet its stringent criteria to enter F1, and rejected its application.

Michael Andretti declared himself "devastated" by the decision, however, has pressed on regardless with the formation of a team that now numbers over 200 employees.

With the intervention of US Congress, the DoJ has felt compelled to act.

Maffei, however, has reiterated that F1 would welcome the expansion of the grid under the right circumstances.  

"We are certainly not against the idea that any expansion is wrong," he said. "There is a methodology for expansion that requires approval of the FIA and F1, and both groups have to find the criteria met.

"We are certainly open to new entrants making applications and potentially being approved if those requirements are met."