Bobby Rahal makes his feelings known about F1's pushback against Michael Andretti's entry

Michael Andretti faced an ordeal trying to enter F1. When his attempts at acquiring Sauber before Audi failed, he attempted to enter as the series' 11th team. However, even before F1 gave its official decision, team principals of the existing teams showed opposition.

Apart from McLaren and Alpine, all eight teams were against Andretti's F1 bid. They feared the dilution of prize money and doubted the value that the American team would bring to F1. Eventually, in 2024, F1 rejected Andretti's bid for a 2026 entry and kept 2028 as the next option.

Bobby Rahal, who had a great rivalry with Michael Andretti in IndyCar, both as a driver and a team owner, recently appeared on the Pit Pass Indy podcast. When host Bruce Martin asked him if the F1 team principals opposing Andretti's bid surprised him, the 1986 Indy 500 winner replied:

"No, not at all. You can understand that to some degree, Formula 1 is in a much different place than it was say 10, 15, or 20 years ago. Despite what you say about Liberty (Media, F1 owners), they've created a monster in the sense of the value." [27:30 onwards]

Bobby Rahal, Le Mans 24 Hour Race - Qualifying - Source: Getty

Rahal agreed that traditional F1 circuits have lost out to race locations like Bahrain and Singapore, but the influx of money has helped teams and the series recover from the financial hole it found itself in over a decade ago.

"They worked hard to get where they are at. They don't feel compelled that they have to welcome outsiders without benefitting from that. That didn't add surprise because the Europeans, the Formula 1 world is a very narrow world, it's a very selfish world. It's all about 'What's in it for me?' and not 'What's in it for the series?'" Rahal added.

Andretti gave up his ownership of Andretti Global in September 2024. To everybody's surprise, after co-owner Dan Towriss assumed full control, he lobbied with F1 for a 2026 entry with General Motors, and it was granted. Next year, the GM-backed Cadillac F1 will enter the pinnacle of motorsport as its 11th team with Michael Andretti's father, Mario Andretti as its director.

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Michael Andretti's heartwarming message after the approval of Cadillac's F1 bid

Michael Andretti at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Sprint - Source: Getty

F1's turnaround to approve Cadillac F1's entry in November 2024 was understood to be a result of Michael Andretti's exit from the team. However, the 1991 CART champion had no sour grapes. He heartily congratulated the team after its announcement, saying (via Crash.net):

"The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team. I’m very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!"

Upon its 2026 entry, Cadillac will use Ferrari engines on a multi-year agreement before developing and using its own engines by the end of this decade. The team will be led by team principal Graeme Lowdon.

Their driver line-up is yet to be finalized, but Colton Herta, IndyCar driver for Andretti Global is reportedly the top choice for one seat. Cadillac has already begun simulator testing by summoning Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global's other full-time driver and ex-F1 star.