Red Bull Racing F1 team principal Christian Horner has moved to explain why many teams have opted against joining Andretti on the F1 grid.
Andretti’s potential F1 entry has been rumored for months after last year’s botched takeover of the Sauber Group, with FIA president Mohammed bin Sulayem recently making Andretti the only direct F1 interest expressed so far. confirmed to be a team of
Despite Andretti’s immense pedigree as a motorsport brand and presenting a compelling case that defies all possible barriers to sitting on the grid, their entry into the F1 scene. continues to be rejected by many of the current constructors.
Even after announcing that it would bring the Cadillac name to F1 through a partnership with General Motors, the F1 team boss remained stubborn, with Mario Andretti, the driving force behind the project, citing himself rather than growing the series as a whole. It has come to criticize existing F1 teams for prioritizing their greed.
And now Christian Horner has reiterated that Andretti’s resistance to F1 Sanyu stems from a dispute over its financial impact on existing teams.
“Andretti is a great brand and a great team. What Mario did in F1 is a great thing for an American,” Horner said in an interview with RACER.
“GM and Cadillac are clearly two phenomenal brands in the sport, and there is no doubt about that.”
“But as with all of these things, in the end it comes down to ‘who’s going to pay for it?'”
“And if teams are assumed to be paying for it, or paying less for it, then of course we can assume that it will not do any good.”
“The two teams we support (Alpine and McLaren) are either in partnership or intend to supply engines in the United States. The other eight teams say, ‘Wait a minute, why should we dilute our prize money?’ they said”
Furthermore, Christian Horner cites previous comments from F1 owner Liberty Media, saying that keeping the current 10-team model, which has been in place since 2016, will ensure the series as a whole thrives on an economic level. said it would be more beneficial to continue to do so.
Audi’s participation in the F1 engine regulation changes in 2026 has already been confirmed with the purchase of a majority stake in the Sauber Group, and Christian Horner believes that Audi’s entry route into F1 will not affect all relationships. We believe that this has set a precedent for how new entrants are welcomed by the industry.
“On the other hand, the Liberty guys said, ‘We’re not going to pay for that. We’re happy with 10 franchises that are operationally sound and competitive to house all of that: garages, logistics, motor homes. is saying
“I’m sure they’re buying an existing franchise and entering and liking the Audi model.”
“The introduction of one or two more teams would dilute the value of the current 10 franchises. Of course, teams, especially those heading to the bottom of the grid, have a very inflated inherent value at the moment. I have”
However, Christian Horner sees the benefits of having a team like Andretti on the grid and hopes to finally find a solution to the ongoing situation.
“Hopefully a solution can be found. It would be cleaner if they could take over with one of the existing teams or franchises. But both are definitely great brands and welcome in F1. It should be.”
