Martin Brundle spots problem for Michael Andretti’s F1 bid after looking into team
Martin Brundle is optimistic about the prospects of his 11th Formula One team but has warned Michael Andretti that he will face tough times leading his team to the grid.
Andretti Global joins 10 existing teams in collaboration with General Motors. Their proposals were approved by the FIA after the governing body went through a months-long process to determine whether potential newcomers met the criteria.
However, commercial rights holder Liberty Media has the final say and is skeptical of the idea of an 11th team. And incumbents generally oppose ideas that further reduce their profits and business opportunities.
It is not yet known how competitive the new outfit will be if approved. Andretti has extensive experience in high-level single-seater racing and has enjoyed success in IndyCar and Formula E.
But it’s been more than a decade since a driver won an IndyCar title while driving for Andretti. Sky Sports F1 pundit Brundle highlighted this, warning that staying competitive in F1 will be an uphill task once the final decision to join the grid is made.
“With my TV hat and my F1 fan hat, I’d like to see another team on the grid, two more cars and drivers,” he said. “Andretti is a great name, but on the other hand, they’ve never built their own cars and they haven’t dominated IndyCar or any other category in recent years. Since it’s called Andretti, I think it will be competitive. “Why are Formula 1 and other teams saying, ‘Wait a minute?’ Formula 1 is in a very good position at the moment because we’ve gone through the last few years and decades where we’ve lost money, a lot of capital expenditure, a lot of spending on the budget. You cannot join that club.
