“That deal ended up falling through. So, when we started to look at possibly a new team in Formula 1, one of the things that was important to me was that I never wanted there to be any appearance whatsoever that we were somehow saying we were taking our ball from IndyCar and looking (only) to Formula 1,” Towriss added. “I said if we’re going to partner with you on this, I want to (remain) all-in with IndyCar, so that our interests are aligned and we continue to invest in everything across the board, and that gave rise to Andretti Global, and that’s now the parent company.
“Michael and I are partners across the board and IndyCar remains a significant part of the motorsports platform.”
Andretti can’t put enough emphasis on how important Towriss and Group 1001 are to this effort.
“It wouldn’t happen without them,” Andretti said. “They are amazing partners, really good people. We all have the same goal, and it will be so exciting and big. Cadillac is 100 percent committed to it.
“This could be a huge effort and I’m hoping we can put it together.
“Cadillac is flat-out doing the same thing we are. They understand they have to do it now and they are doing it. We are all taking a bit of a calculated risk,” Andretti noted. “We believe the program we have put together in front of the FIA is as good a program as they could ever want for a Formula 1 team.
“Hopefully, it will be approved. I think it is getting really close. We hope to know soon.”
Andretti has a strong ally in McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. The two are in business together on several racing ventures.
“Zak has been great,” Andretti said. “He understands what it is going to do to help Formula 1. He knows we are going to add to it. Alpine has been a great supporter, too. It’s not like we are getting 100 percent opposition from the current Formula 1 team owners.”
All Andretti Global teams, including the Formula 1 effort, will be based in a new 600,000-square-foot racing facility currently under construction in Fishers, Ind., on the northeast side of Indianapolis.
If Andretti is successful, it would be a triumphant return to Formula 1 for the driver who joined McLaren in 1993 and was unable to finish the season.
He competed in 13 Formula 1 events that year with one podium — a third-place finish in his final race in Monza, Italy.
Andretti returned to the CART Series and gave Chip Ganassi Racing its first Indy car victory in 1994.
Andretti’s father, Mario, had a much more successful career in Formula 1. He competed in his first F-1 race in 1968 and earned 12 Formula 1 victories, including six during his 1978 Formula 1 championship season with the famed John Player Team Lotus.
Mario Andretti has been one of Andretti Global’s biggest supporters in the effort to acquire a Formula 1 team.
“I’m very proud of what he is doing and the fact he is very resilient,” Mario Andretti told SPEED SPORT. “He pursues his objectives. He does it in the best possible way. I love that. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious in life and he has that ambition. That is what drives him. He won a world championship with a driver in Formula E. The team has been competitive and finally they won another race again. That is a good thing for any team and it’s good for him because he is working hard.
“He is going for it. He wants to click off all the majors and there is nothing wrong with that.
“We have to wait to see what is going to be happening. Right now, the process is in place and that is it. It’s up to them to tell Michael what the next step is.”
Michael Andretti would like to honor the Andretti legacy by returning the family name to the pinnacle of international motorsports.
“It would be huge for us,” Michael Andretti said. “We have a history there, especially with my dad. It would be huge for everybody involved. And you can’t forget about General Motors. They have never been in Formula 1 and that would be a big deal.
“What makes our team completely different from the way Gene Haas does it, they do a deal with Ferrari and the car is designed by Ferrari. Our car will be our own design and we will build the car. This is a very big effort.
“It’s the pinnacle of auto racing in the world,” Andretti concluded. “It’s one of the biggest sports in the world. For our brand and everything we are doing, it will bring everything together. Our goal as a team is to be in every major racing event in the world. Obviously, Formula 1 is a big part of that.
“It’s going to be a huge deal for us.”
This story appeared in the Sept 20, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
