Liberty Media, the American entity that owns Formula 1, is formally under investigation by the United States Department of Justice for antitrust violations over how it has denied Andretti Global entry into the international racing series.
Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, revealed in its latest quarterly earning call that the company is being investigated over the federal antitrust division over the “legality of F1 refusing entry to Michael Andretti’s team.”
Andretti and Group1001, who is the parent company of Gainbridge, have partnered with General Motors to develop a completely in-house racing organization that already has a shop in both the United States and England.
Formula One Management says that it has not yet approved the team entry because it has not proven that it would be additive to the current group of team owners at large when it comes to what it would provide to the overall revenue that is split amongst them.
“Looking at Andretti, as you saw this morning, we announced that there is a DOJ investigation,” Maffei told Wall Street business analysts on Thursday. “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 our decision, vis-a-vis Andretti in prior statements.”
Maffei stated that both Formula 1 and Liberty Media is not ruling out accepting an expansion team if it “ticks all the boxes.”
“We are certainly not against the idea that any expansion is wrong,” Maffei said. “There is a methodology for expansion that requires approval of the FIA and the F1 and both groups have to find the criteria met.
“We’re certainly open to new entrants making applications and potentially being approved if those requirements are met.”
The Andretti group has argued that it has met all such provisions in that it was approved by the FIA, the regulatory body that oversees F1, signed a works engine partner in General Motors with its Cadillac brand and with a shop in Silverstone, England.
It wanted immediate entry, under a customer car program, as so far just to be totally prepared to launch a works program once new engine regulations begin in 2028. The effort to deny Andretti Global a spot on the grid seems like a zero-sum argument in that it doesn’t want to approve Andretti before 2028 because it would be a customer car team and not by 2028 because it argues it wouldn’t be immediately competitive.
That drew the curiosity of the United States Congress led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R) of Ohio, who opened the investigation back in May. This came two days after Mario Andretti appeared on Capitol Hill.
