Michael Andretti has refused to rule out an F1 deal, saying he will continue to monitor the situation for a while.
Andretti and his team Andretti Autosport were in talks to purchase an 80% stake in Sauber Group, the team that runs Alfa Romeo in F1. However, the talks broke down over disputes regarding control of the team.
The entrepreneur pulled out of talks after being unable to find a solution. Speaking at his latest IndyCar driver presentation, Andretti refused to rule out an F1 deal, and said that he will remain in the wings to try and find a good deal.
“I think (Liberty Media, F1 owners) would like it, obviously, because they are really pushing the American market, but they weren’t doing anything to help us,” Andretti said, as quoted by Planet F1.
“I think it would have been a huge story. It’s a shame it didn’t work out. But I don’t give up.
“Our eyes will always stay open. We will always look for (an) opportunity there, not just there but in other formulas as well, other types of racing. That’s what we do. We are in the racing business and we are always looking for opportunities to expand.
“But when we do expand, we have to make sure it’s a proper deal that we know we can be competitive because that’s very important for our brand – to be competitive in anything we do.”
Shelved plans
Andretti also revealed that had the deal gone through, he would have tried everything he could to get young IndyCar gun Colton Herta into Alfa Romeo. The 21-year-old has gotten himself in Andretti’s good books, and he stated that he would include him in any F1 team he buys.
Andretti Autosport’s owns teams IndyCar, Formula E and Extreme E, among others.
Read more: Wolff gives opinion on Andretti takeover – “They must be crazy”