Major blow for Andretti's F1 chances as FIA president makes surprise U-turn

In what is a blow to Andretti's F1 hopes, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has advised the American brand to buy one of the incumbent teams instead of entering as an 11th contender. This is an unexpected U-turn as the sport's governing body had initiated the process of adding a new team last season.

Andretti was one of the teams that went through the entire process and the FIA even approved the team's application. However, it was then rejected by the Formula One Management (FOM).

After facing opposition from the FOM and from Red Bull, Mercedes, Williams, Ferrari, and other teams, Andretti's only ally in the battle seemed to be the FIA. Unfortunately, Ben Sulayem's recent statement hints that the FIA might have switched sides.

In an interview with Reuters on May 28, the FIA president urged Andretti to find its way to the grid by buying one of the F1 teams instead of being the 11th competitor. He said:

"I have no doubt FOM and Liberty [Media] would love to see other teams as long as they are OEMs [original equipment manufacturers]. I would advise them [Andretti] to go and buy another team, not to come as the 11th team. I feel that some teams need to be refreshed."

He added:

"What is better? To have 11 teams as a number or 10 and they are strong? I still believe we should have more teams but not any teams - the right teams. It’s not about the number, it’s about the quality."

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FIA president Ben Sulayem hints at a few F1 teams that are not in the best shape after Andretti U-turn

Ben Sulayem didn't divulge any names while hinting that there are a few teams on the current grid that are not in the best shape. He believes Andretti could target buying either of those teams and then enter as a participant, viewing it as a more viable route for the team to join F1.

Talking about how Ford was entering F1 and there was a possibility of General Motors doing the same, he said during the same Reuters interview:

"Without mentioning names, there are teams which are struggling…struggling with performance, struggling even with management. It’s about having the right team, not to lose a chance or an opportunity where someone like GM with a PU is coming to Formula 1."

He added"

"Imagine the impact. We have three races in America. We have such a huge fan base. But we don’t have a proper [U.S.] team. I’m so happy to have Ford in [with Red Bull from 2026] but imagine having GM and imagine having American drivers."

Andretti are yet to respond to Ben Sulayem's comments.