Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff has said he takes the team’s partnership with Cadillac/General Motors as a ‘statement’ of Andretti’s potential F1 entry, saying he has denied previous denials. softened his position.
US racing stalwart Michael Andretti has been aggressively trying to garner support for his F1 entry, including months of lobbying in the paddock.
But despite Andretti’s enthusiasm to become the 11th team on the grid, which requires approval from both the FIA and F1, the reaction from the paddock was lukewarm.
It is understood that the majority of F1 teams are not keen on sharing the prize pool with additional participants. Their concerns arise amid the question whether the current $200 million dilution fund that Andretti must pay will be sufficient to reflect the increasing value of F1 entries following the sport’s boom in popularity. .
Last summer, Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff said that if the number of teams were to be expanded, the sport would have to add value, saying: “Andretti is a great name, but it’s a sport, it’s a business. We need to understand what we can offer the sport.”
“And if a carmaker or a multinational group can get into F1 and prove that they’re going to spend X dollars on activation and marketing, that’s obviously a very different value proposition for every other team.”
Andretti appears to have done just that by joining forces with GM-branded Cadillac, but Toto Wolff softens his stance and admits that partnering with the automaker ticked a big box for Andretti. .
“Cadillac and GM, that’s a statement. It’s definitely positive that they join forces with Andretti,” said Wolff.
“It gives another angle that may or may not be beneficial to F1, but no one questions GM’s or Cadillac’s pedigree in motorsport and, apparently, as a global car company. right”
James Bowles, Williams’ new team principal after many years as chief strategist at Mercedes F1, says F1 still has a better understanding of how Andretti and Cadillac plan to contribute to its growth. added that it was necessary.
“We are always open to the growth of the sport, but the truth behind it is that the sport needs to become more and more financially successful,” said James Bowles.
“Anyone who participates in that environment must effectively bring about the growth necessary to put everyone else in a better, or at least neutral, position.”
“And I think that was the statement from the beginning.”
“Andretti and Cadillac have a lot to offer and we need to understand how to grow the sport.”
Category: F1 / mercedes / Andretti