IndyCar insider reveals the impact of Michael Andretti's exit on the Andretti Global team name

Michael Andretti exited his motorsport organization, Andretti Global, in lieu of F1's reluctance to allow the brand to join the grid. However, this pushed forward a dilemma regarding whether the team would continue as Andretti in the IndyCar field as other figures lead the racing operation.

The 62-year-old openly flirted with the idea of joining the F1 grid with Andretti in 2022. However, his efforts were to no avail as despite getting the green light from the FIA, he was unable to crack a deal with the F1 Management.

Regardless of such discussions, Andretti continued his desire and opened a base for its F1 project in the United Kingdom. Subsequently, General Motors' role was increased from being a name bearer to a full-fledged operation, which intrigued the Formula One Management (FOM).

However, Michael Andretti's presence may have hindered the Cadillac/GM outfit from becoming a reality, so the former IndyCar champion left the team for the greater good. A few months later, Cadillac's entry was officially confirmed for the 2026 F1 season, but it left a weird conundrum on the IndyCar end.

With Andretti having left the team and running under new leadership, questions arose regarding whether the team would continue under the same name. However, IndyCar insider Marshall Pruett quashed such doubts by asserting that the team will continue running under the Andretti badge, and said (via RACER):

"I’ve asked the team in 2024 and again in 2025 if a name change was happening, and was told no."

Andretti has a vast motorsport presence with IndyCar, Indy NXT, Formula E, and endurance ventures on its list.

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Michael Andretti gets candid about Andretti's racing ventures

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

While Michael Andretti has stepped down from his daily involvement with Andretti Global, the team still functions as a part of the Andretti family. This led to him being questioned about how Andretti would continue working in the future with such a vast racing heritage and presence in multiple championships.

Subsequently, Andretti asserted the need for the right personnel within the team, and said (via Elko Daily):

"I don't believe in that. I believe if you have the right people in the right positions, that should only help the overall effort. I think there's a lot of things they do here that are going to help our IndyCar program and our Formula E program, and vice versa."

“I just feel we are strengthening ourselves, not spreading ourselves too thin. You are if you try to use the same people in every program, but we're getting the right people."

The next race on the IndyCar calendar is scheduled to take place at the Thermal Club on March 23. The 3.067-mile track made its debut last year, and Alex Palou is the reigning winner at the newly joined circuit.