It has been a while coming but Andretti has finally been given official FIA clearance to enter the F1 grid as the sport’s 11th team.
The American team had already filed an Expression of Interest to the FIA earlier in the year and that has now been cleared by the sport’s governing body.
However, Andretti’s job is not over yet.
The company needs to get the approval of the sport’s commerical wing, or Liberty Media in simpler terms.
Andretti has been on the hunt for a position amongst the elite in motorsport racing since 2021, following the announcement of its partnership with General Motors and would run under the name Andretti-Cadillac.
FIA confirmed that after close assessment, they felt Andretti was the only candidate that they deemed fit to enter the sport.
The FIA observed Andretti’s sporting and technical prowess as well as checking its financial plans as it looks to make a mark in the echelon of motorsport racing.
Andretti also impressed the FIA with its approach towards equality, diversity and inclusion.
“We note the FIA’s conclusions in relation to the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application,” a FIA spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem was also happy with the decision.
“The FIA was very clear in establishing stringent criteria for entry from the outset of the Expressions of Interest procedure,” he said.
“Our objective, after rigorous due diligence during the application phase, was to only approve prospective entries which satisfied the set criteria and illustrated that they would add value to the sport.
“The FIA is obliged to approve applications that comply with the Expressions of Interests application requirements and we have adhered to that procedure in deciding that Andretti Formula Racing LLC’s application would proceed to the next stage of the application process.
“In taking that decision, the FIA is acting in accordance with EU directives on motor sport participation and development.
“Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity which fulfils the selection criteria that was set in all material respects. I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission. I also want to thank all prospective teams for their interest and participation.
“The Expressions of Interest process builds on the positive acceptance of the FIA’s 2026 F1 Power Unit Regulations among existing OEMs which has also attracted further commitment from Audi, Honda and Ford and interest from Porsche and General Motors.
“I would like to thank all of the FIA team members involved in the Expressions of Interest process for their tireless efforts in ensuring a diligent assessment of all of the applications received.”
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