Michael Andretti shares heartfelt message as new Andretti Global owner promises to uphold his legacy

Former IndyCar driver and team owner Michael Andretti moved away from his role at Andretti Global at the end of the 2024 IndyCar season. Brand 1001 head Dan Towriss took over the ownership of the motorsport team and recently reshuffled the structure so that Andretti Global comes under the TWG Motorsports umbrella.

However, this led to many fans believing that the Andretti name would soon vanish from the team. But Dan Towriss came out and claimed that he won't be removing the Andretti name from the IndyCar team because of the history and affiliation of the Andretti family with the team.

Putting the rumors about changing the name to bed, Andretti Global's new boss came out at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and said, via IndyStar:

“We love the Andretti name. The relationship we have with Mario, Michael, and the whole family - that legacy is very important. I think it's important to IndyCar, and it's important to us as a team. When you look at what series made the Andrettis famous and what the Andrettis have done for IndyCar, I can't imagine an IndyCar world without an Andretti team racing, so we want to continue that on and take the Andretti legacy into the future.”

Michael Andretti, who wanted to be the co-owner and founding member of the IndyCar team, came out and thanked Towriss for his choice to keep the name alive.

“I'm glad he chose to. I'm proud of everything we've done in the past, and it's nice to see he's going to carry.”

Both Michael and his son Mario raced for the historic IndyCar team and brought success to the team. By the time Michael Andretti invested in the team, his father Mario had already retired from the sport.

The Andretti Global operations including the IndyCar team, Indy NXT team, and the Formula E team will come under the TWG Motorsports bracket, which also happened to become the parent company for the Cadillac F1 project.

Dan Towriss details Michael Andretti's tough conversation with F1

Dan Towriss came out and detailed why Michael Andretti left the organization. The Group 1001 Boss revealed how the former IndyCar driver wanted to leave, suggesting that he wasn't having fun anymore. Towriss then detailed the tough conversations with F1, which could've been a potential source of stress for Michael.

“As someone on the inside, the (F1) pressure was intense. There were some very difficult meetings with F1 and other things happening outside, and when you put these other motorsports series together, it's a big operation, and so I think it kinda brought us to that place. It just got very political,” said Dan Towriss.

Michael Andretti was spotted at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and it was his first-ever appearance since his exit from the IndyCar team. The former team owner suggested that he was enjoying his time after retiring from the team.