Mario Andretti has claimed that Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei has personally pledged to block the nascent Andretti Global outfit from entering Formula 1.
While the organization was originally approved by the FIA as part of an analysis over which potential new entrant met the criteria of the governing body it was subsequently denied entry by Formula One Management when it came to joining the series in 2025 or 2026.
It says Andretti would not be immediately additive to the current teams that comprise the grid, whom all split revenue under an agreement called the Concorde Agreement, and are not keen to accept a new entrant unless it raises the equity of the group, holistically.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the Championship,” FOM said in a statement. “The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant.”
FOM has stated that it would be more open to accepting the team once its Cadillac branded engine has been developed by General Motors and would accompany Andretti Global. The team had hoped to join as a customer before its engine was ready in 2028 so that it could be ready to contend for podiums immediately.
All told, a team with major financial backing in Group1001 and an engine deal with General Motors appears to be one that is additive and the refusal from FOM drew the attention of the United States Congress.
Andretti, the 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, was present when a group of bipartisan Congressmen held a press conference in Washington D.C. ahead of the Miami Grand Prix alongside a written letter to Maffei seeking clarity over the decision to deny the team entry. Andretti says he wasn’t responsible for rallying them to the cause.
Andretti told NBC News on Thursday that he in Miami, speaking to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, when Maffei approached him.
“I was asked to go there (to Washington),” Andretti told NBC. “And just as I was trying to explain that to Stefano, Greg Maffei, Mr. Maffei, broke in the conversation and he said: ‘Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything in my power to see that Michael never enters Formula 1.’
“I could not believe that. That one really floored me. … We’re talking about business. I didn’t know it was something so personal. That was really — oh, my goodness. I could not believe it. It was just like a bullet through my heart.”
Meanwhile, RACER.com reports that Andretti approached Maffei.
Regardless, Andretti is adamant that the organization led by his son Michael has done everything required to field a team in Formula in terms of resources, manufacturer support and its group of managing partners.
It also opened a state of the art facility in England last month and is forging ahead with its plans to compete in Formula 1 despite the setbacks.
“We’re bringing something of value. It’s a big investment in the sport that we love or sport that’s our job and our passion,” the elder Andretti said. “It’s a long-term commitment. We’ve done everything that needs to be accomplished, needs to be done to earn a spot in Formula 1. What else do you want us to do?”
Matt Weaver is a Motorsports Insider for Sportsnaut. Follow him on Twitter.