"Another two seats available for a potential female driver": When Lewis Hamilton boldly opposed F1 peers to support Michael Andretti's bid

Michael Andretti’s bid to join F1 with support from Cadillac and General Motors was approved by the motorsport governing body FIA in 2023. However, many F1 teams were against the decision to allow a new team to enter the sport. Amid this, Lewis Hamilton stood alone in support of Andretti Global joining F1.

The Drive to Survive docuseries along with the controversial championship finale between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen in 2021 led to a significant boom in F1’s market and team values. With Michael Andretti’s proposal to join F1, many teams stood against the idea detailing how the prize money and team value might get diluted.

The teams asked the Formula One Management to increase the value of the Concorde Agreement, which meant Michael Andretti and Co. had to pay $600 million instead of the previously set $200 million to join F1. Despite the opposition from F1 peers, Lewis Hamilton came out and detailed why an 11th team would be a great addition to the F1 paddock. He said, (via PlanetF1)

“I think it’s great. I think in F1 I’ve always felt that there weren’t enough cars on the grid. There will definitely be people that won’t be happy for me to be so supportive of it! But I think it’s great.”

“It’s an opportunity for more jobs, there’s another two seats available for a potential female driver to come through. It opens up more possibilities, and I think it’ll be more exciting for the race,” he added.

Ultimately, Michael Andretti’s F1 bid was rejected by the Formula One Management. However, Cadillac put in a bid to join the grid in 2026, bringing in a new engine manufacturer, and the same was later approved. Andretti Global and General Motors stood as supporters of Cadillac's F1 project.

Michael Andretti's father Mario detailed why his son withdrew from the Cadillac F1 project

Michael Andretti's plan was to get an all-American team on the F1 team. However, the former IndyCar driver and team owner saw himself as an obstacle to why the FOM wouldn't approve the F1 bid and hence withdrew. Michael left Andretti Global at the end of the 2024 season, handing the control to Dan Towriss.

Mario Andretti detailed the same as he said, (via AMuS)

“The aim was to get an American team on the grid, and we have achieved that. Michael is also happy, even though he has withdrawn from the project. He simply said: ‘If I’m the obstacle, then I’ll clear the way’. Looking back, we could certainly have done a few things better.”

Since then, Dan Towriss has restructured the Cadillac F1 and Andretti Global projects, with all motorsports projects coming under the TWG Motorsports umbrella. Cadillac will be making its F1 debut in 2026 but is still to confirm an engine supplier and the drivers.