The big talking point off the track at the Qatar GP was whether Formula 1 would let Andretti, in partnership with Cadillac, join the grid as a new team in the near future. The FIA confirmed ahead of the race weekend that Andretti had been given a green light by its due diligence process. This of course got lots of fans very excited, but I think it’s important to try and put a bit more meat on the bone of this subject because, as always in F1, nothing is simple. This does not mean they have a guaranteed place on the grid, nor anything close thereto.
Any new team who wants to compete has to go through a three-phase process. Phase one is where the FIA invites any new teams to express an interest in entering the championship – on this occasion four teams did so.
In phase two, these teams are assessed on their sporting and technical ability, the ability of the team to raise and maintain sufficient funding to allow participation in the championship at a competitive level and the team’s experience and human resources. Selection criteria also included sustainability management in line with the FIA’s ambition of achieving the sport’s goals for net-zero by 2030. Any prospective F1 team is also required to illustrate how it intends to achieve a positive societal impact through its participation in the sport.
