Andretti Global, the parent company of Andretti Autosport, broke ground on its new 575,000-square-foot global racing and technology headquarters Dec. 6 in Fishers, Indiana. The 90 acre campus is set alongside the Indianapolis Metropolitan airport and will be the new home for one of the largest independent motor racing organisations in the world.

Andretti Autosport, led by Michael Andretti, operates worldwide in seven racing championships and focuses in eight different categories of motorsport with 17 full-time drivers. 

Andretti new $200m facility

Michael Andretti first became a team owner in 2003 after retiring from his full-time driving career. Nearly two decades later, Andretti has built a diverse, global enterprise competing at the highest levels of motorsport and reaching all five habitable continents. 

In his time as a team owner, Andretti has collected 17 championship titles and 257 race wins – including five Indianapolis 500 victories, victory at the Bathurst 1000, a Sebring 12 Hour title and wins in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and Extreme E series.

Andretti said as the first spade pierced the ground, “Indiana has been home to the Andretti organization for many years, and we’re thrilled to enhance our commitment to this state that has been so supportive of the entire motorsports industry. The Fishers community has been very welcoming, and it was great to see so many of our supporters and neighbors join us today as we continue to write our history.”

F1 application gathers pace

However, the Andretti family have turned their eyes to the ultimate racing series in global motorsport  – Formula One. Andretti attempted to buy the Swiss based Sauber team but lost out to the giant German auto manufacturer that is the VAG group who will run their Audi brand from 2026.

Andretti now wants to enter the first new team since 2010 when Lotus, HRT and Virgin joined the F1 grid. Yet certain members of the current exclusive F1 club a re not so keen on another competitor joining and diluting the prize money.

Yet the latest Concorde agreement saw the teams agree any new entrant should post an eye watering $200m entry fee to offset the dilution suffered by the split of prize money among 11 rather than 10 teams.

Andretti backer guarantees $200m F1 entry fee

This week Andretti revealed they are being financially backed by Guggenheim Partners, a private equity firm with $285 billion in assets under management. They will provide both the funding for the new Andretti facility in Indian where the F1 team will be based together with the $200 million entry fee for Formula 1.

Speaking to SoyMotor.com, Micheal Andretti expressed an interest in recruiting double world champion Fernando Alonso to race for the team. The Spaniard has committed at preset to Aston Martin on a 2 year deal and would be 43 years of age were hero join a newly formed Andretti F1 team at the earliest opportunity.

Alonso targeted as F1 driver

This would be presumably be an attractive option for Fernando given he only needs an Indy500 win to claim the greatest triple crown in global motorsport. 

Andretti believes the move is “very possible.”

“His experience is immeasurable and it would be a tremendous thing for us, so we’re going to look at it. I think he wants to keep racing and he’s still in his prime.

“One of the drivers who 99 per cent would be in the team is Colton Herta,” added Andretti, “ but he would need someone with more experience alongside him.”

Colton Herta’s F1 future ever closer

“This would make the team much more complete and that is what is being discussed right now as part of the plan. 

“The main goal would be to have a very experienced driver alongside a new talent, and to have at least one American driver in the team.”

Red Bull Racing attempted to recruit Colton Herta for their Alpha Tauri Racing team, but the Californian failed to meet the FIA’s super license criteria to obtain a Formula One driving permit. 

READ MROE: F1 driver reveals juicy details of Alonso deal

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