Formula 1 Rejects Andretti-Cadillac's Bid To Join The Grid

In what can only be described as an almost unfathomable decision, Formula 1 has decided to reject Andretti-Cadillac's bid to join the F1 grid. Andretti-Cadillac has not commented yet, but it's been vocal before, so expect a scathing reply to this latest news.

«Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, on its own, provide value to the championship. 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,» F1 said in a statement.

F1 is essentially saying that Andretti would be too slow and unable to compete with the rest of the field.

«The addition of an 11th team would place an operational burden on race promoters, would subject some of them to significant costs, and would reduce the technical, operational, and commercial spaces of the other competitors,» the statement concluded.

This is a wild turn of events, as Andretti-Cadillac looked to have a solid bid. Out of four bids to join the grid, it was the only team to successfully pass the Federation Internationale dl'Automobile's's (FIA) expression of interest procedure. General Motors also got the nod as an official engine supplier.

We knew the next step would be challenging, as F1 had to consult other teams. F1's CEO, Stefano Domenicali, has also been quite vocal about not wanting an 11th team on the grid for all of the reasons quoted above.

The matter appears to be personal. F1 said it would look differently on an application for a team entry in 2028. This team would need a GM power unit, and it would have to operate as either a GM works team or as a GM customer.

«In this case, there would be additional factors to consider in respect to the value that the Applicant would bring to the Championship, in particular in respect to bringing a prestigious new OEM to the sport as a PU supplier,» F1 said.

This is a devastating blow to Andretti Autosport, which had every intention of joining the grid in 2025. It was pretty far along in developing a car for 2025, even though new regulations come into effect in 2026. There's no shortage of money, and Andretti previously stated