Formula One has been enjoying a boom in popularity since the acquisition of the commercial rights to the sport by USA based Liberty Media Group. They’ve relaxed previous restrictions on fans posting “official F1” content on social media and engaged Netflix to produce a behind the scenes annual documentary which has been huge success with audiences preciously ignorant to F1.
Sponsorship displayed on the cars liveries has grown significantly and it feels like the good times are rolling for F1 and its teams. Yet all is not rosy in F1’s garden as the next era of power units are set to debut in 2026.
The FIA desperate to recruit new manufacturers with new power unit regulations failed in their plan with Porsche withdrawing their interest and Renault set to cease producing their own powertrains. Audi will replace Renault producing their own power units and so its only really Red Bull Powertrains who add an incremental name with Ford as a new OEM.
Maffei personal problems with Michael
F1 had the opportunity to welcome an eleventh team to the grid with the FIA green lighting the Andretti Global application to join the sport. Yet the teams and Liberty media blocked this move and are now facing a US Justice Department lawsuit filed in August, claiming F1 is in breach of its laws preventing a monopoly.
Despite being rejected, Andretti have ploughed ahead and claim they will have a car ready for the next big rule changes in 2026. The US based racing organisation cheekily patched the FIA’s chief technical officer, Pat Symonds, who now heads up a hundred strong workforce at a base in Silverstone.
Liberty Media’s CEO Greg Maffei is believed to have a personal problem with Michael Andretti, but no investigative journalism has yet uncovered the cause of this rift. At this year’s Miami Grand Prix, Maffei interrupted Mario Andretti who was talking to Stefano Domenicali on the grid, to tell him: “Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything in my power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1.”
Michael Andretti has been taking a low profile since with Andretti Global announcing last week their founder was stepping back from day to day operations into a more ambassadorial role. Meanwhile Dan Towriss, who along with his Group 1001, bought an ownership stake in Andretti Global in 2022, would take day to day charge.
Cadillac a condition for F1 entry
Of course this led to immediate speculation that this move was an attempt to remove Michael from the equation which may at some point in the future ease the way for the new Andretti F1 team.
One of the reasons given by Liberty Media for rejecting the Andretti F1 application was in its current guise for 2026 using one of the existing manufacturers powertrains, meant it did not bring enough “value” to the sport.
The suggestion was that when Cadillac were ready to introduce their power unit further down the line, the partnership with Andretti would be looked upon more favourably. The report listed a number of issues with the application and specifically:
“The Application contemplates an association with General Motors (GM) that does not initially include a PU supply, with an ambition for a full partnership with GM as a PU supplier in due course, but this will not be the case for some years. Having a GM PU supply attached to the Application at the outset would have enhanced its credibility, though a novice constructor in partnership with a new entrant PU supplier would also have a significant challenge to overcome. Most of the attempts to establish a new constructor in the last several decades have not been successful.”
Red Bull “key figure” not up to the task says ex-driver
Exclusion reasoning faulty
Audi are attempting to build their own F1 power unit with no previous experience as are Red Bull Racing. Although in Sauber, Audi have bought in car design expertise which is something Red Bull have also been doing since 2005.
Now speaking to ‘The Racer’, long standing motorsport journalist Marshall Pruett now claims Cadillac could enter F1 with a partnership with Andretti. “Michael Andretti and Dan Towriss formed a new parent company a few years ago named Andretti Global which, I believe, houses all of the teams we know of, including, and especially for, the F1 program,” he said when questioned whether Michael standing down will impact the F1 application.
“The F1 plans are going forward and have experienced no planning or financial interruptions,” he added. “No changes are expected with anything that I know of, except for seeing less of Michael.
“He (Towriss) arrived in IndyCar in 2018 as a newcomer and sponsor of Zach Veach at Andretti with Group 1001/Gainbridge,” he said of the new CEO. Pruett questions whether Andretti have been truthful in their presentation of Michael’s withdrawal:
Renault boss throws engine department under the buss
Speculation Cadillac could go it alone
“To push this hard, and to get this close to restoring the team’s greatness in IndyCar and to getting the nod to make it into F1 as an entrant, and then all of a sudden, this is the time to step away? Nobody I’ve spoken to believes this went down in the gosh-and-golly manner it’s being sold.”
He claims “F1 insiders” have suggested ton him that “Cadillac wanting to move forward without the Andrettis, but not without Towriss and his giant funding via the Andretti Global team he controls – with its desired F1 program, and this is the expression of that organisational play. We’ll see what the future reveals.”
Yet Pruett dismisses the idea of Cadillac going it completely alone because “I don’t foresee GM approving a massive budget to do it all on its own with Cadillac,” he suggests, “not with huge investments coming across its move to going electric by 2035.”
When the Andretti/Cadillac application was rejected by F1, they suggested the pair come back when Cadillac can produce an F1 power unit. Cadillac were adamant at that time they had no interest in joining F1 without Andretti. Whether its Michael or the Andretti organisation that has GM’s buy in – only time will tell.
Ricciardo F1 return in Austin a “masterstroke”
Daniel Ricciardo was denied a big Formula One farewell last time out in Singapore as just four days after the race in the City State, Red Bull announced he was axed and being replaced by Liam Lawson for the last six races of this year.
Red Bull have been heavily criticised over their handling of the matter with Ricciardo appearing to have no idea of what was to befall him while he performed his media duties prior to the track sessions.
Dr. Helmut Marko admitted after the Grand Prix in Singapore that Ricciardo had been told on Sunday morning and from thereon his demeanour changed visibly. “[The timing] was related to a variety of factors and obligations,”Marko told Motorsport Total. “He was informed, and the worthy farewell performance was, I think, the fastest lap.”… READ MORE
With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
