Mario Andretti: “There will be new news and changes in the F1 project”
Mario Andretti has announced that there will be “news and changes” coming to the Andretti-Cadillac Formula One venture following the departure of his son Michael from the management.
It was announced in October that Michael Andretti was stepping down as CEO of Andretti Global operations and moving into an advisory role. Dan Towriss now handles day-to-day decision-making, and Andretti’s bid to join F1 remains in limbo.
Andretti’s bid to carry his name was accepted by the FIA but rejected by the Formula One Administration (FOM), prompting the US Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the matter.
Despite this, Andretti pressed on with development of a car for the 2026 F1 season with the backing of General Motors’ Cadillac brand, opening a facility at Silverstone and hiring hundreds of staff, including former F1 Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds.
Mario Andretti told La Gazzetta dello Sport on whether his F1 bid would continue after his son Michael stepped aside from decision-making, “This is not a matter that concerns me, but my son Michael and his company.”
“All I can say is that there will be new news and changes. I fully support my son in all the decisions he makes during this period and in the future,” he replied.
Andretti also aims to capitalize on Formula One’s growing presence in the United States.
F1’s interest in the US market has steadily increased since Liberty Media acquired the series ahead of the 2017 season. F1 has gained huge popularity in America, helped by the Netflix programme Drive to Survive and three US Grands Prix in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas.
Drive to Survive, which airs on Netflix, and three US-based Grands Prix in Miami, Austin and Las Vegas have helped to boost F1’s appeal in the US.
This year’s Miami Grand Prix broke records on US television with an average of 3.1 million viewers.
Mario Andretti evaluated this situation as follows:
“It’s extraordinary. In all my years in the United States, I’ve never seen such a strong interest in Formula One, including in the 1960s when it was still being followed by Americans.”
“Decades passed in which interest was almost non-existent, and then, with the Netflix series reviving interest, there was an unexpected resurgence of love for Formula One among Americans.”
