MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Liberty Media, a company based in the United States that owns the commercial rights to Formula 1, is under investigation by the United States Department of Justice for antitrust violations regarding the denial of Andretti Global to the F-1 grid.
According to reports, CEO Greg Maffei revealed in a quarterly earnings call that Liberty Media is officially being investigated by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division over the “legality of F-1 refusing entry to Michael Andretti’s team.”
Andretti and Group 1001 owner Dan Towriss own Andretti Global, which competes in a variety of racing series including the NTT IndyCar Series.
Maffei said Liberty Media has not breached any U.S. legal regulations and would cooperate with the Department of Justice.
“Looking at Andretti, as you saw this morning, we announced that there is a DOJ investigation,” Maffei told Wall Street business analysts on Thursday, as reported in Autosport. “We intend to fully cooperate with that investigation, including any related requests for information.
“We believe our determination, F-1’s determination, was in compliance with all applicable U.S. antitrust laws, and we’ve detailed the rationale for our decision, vis-a-vis Andretti in prior statements.”
Maffei stressed that F-1 and Liberty Media aren’t ruling out accepting an expansion team if it “ticks all the boxes.”
“We are certainly not against the idea that any expansion is wrong,” he said. “There is a methodology for expansion that requires approval of the FIA and the F-1 and both groups have to find the criteria met.
“We’re certainly open to new entrants making applications and potentially being approved if those requirements are met.”
House of Representatives member Jim Jordan of Ohio, chairman of the United States House Judiciary Committee, opened an investigation into Liberty Media in May 2024. That was two days after Andretti’s father, 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner and 1967 Daytona 500 winner Mario Andretti appeared on Capitol Hill.
Jordan wrote to F-1’s owners demanding reasons for the decision-making process that was keeping Andretti Global out of Formula 1.
Andretti’s proposed Formula 1 team would include American automotive giant General Motors and the Cadillac brand for an 11th team on the F-1 grid that would be based in Silverstone, England and Fishers, Ind. – a suburb of Indianapolis.
Andretti Global has gained approval from the FIA, the sanctioning body of Formula 1, for expanding the grid, but the FIA does not own the commercial rights to the series.Â
The FIAÂ accepted Andretti Global’s bid on a technical level.
That was not enough for F-1, believing the American team would not be competitive in the early to mid-stages of its operation and would not enhance the commercial value to Formula 1.
F-1 teams have also been reluctant to accept Andretti because they would have to share their prize pool with an additional entrant.