When Michael Andretti asked to join the Piranhas Club of Formula One last year, and received an okay from the FIA, Formula One’s governing body, it was up to the team principals to unanimously decide if Andretti could be a viable member. His father, Mario, is the most recent American F1 driver to win a championship, back in his dark-hair days of 1978, but the 1969 Indianapolis 500 champion put his connections on the line in an attempt to assist his elder son.
Currently, there are 10 teams in F1, which is now run by an American company. Formula One Group’s compendium of companies is overseen by Liberty Media Corp., with former Ferrari operative Stefano Domenicali as its CEO. Liberty didn’t have issues with Andretti’s proposals but the ten teams sure did. Although they might have looked at the stats, which Autosport delineated, they shrugged their collective shoulders and asked Andretti Global to reapply for 2028, when substantial changes are due.
The Andretti name has had great success in racing since Mario and his late twin brother Aldo Andretti began their careers. There’s Mario’s world championship, his 12 F1 victories and 18 pole positions, joined by 20 F1 podiums. Mario, together with Michael’s team Andretti Autosport (now Andretti Global) have combined to earn six Indianapolis 500 victories, while Mario has earned a single NASCAR Daytona 500 victory. Autosport cited nine INDYCAR championships, along with four INDY NXT titles, two overall Rolex 24 at Daytona wins, three Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring victories, a single Pikes Peak International Hill Climb win, three NASCAR wins and a single 24 Hours of Le Mans class win. Altogether that’s more than 350 race victories in a variety of series as either individual racers or team owners.
Still, that wasn’t enough for Formula One Management, as Andretti had proposed a 2025 entry, less than two years away. “The fact that the applicant proposes to do so, gives us reason to question their understanding of the scope of the challenge involved,” F1’s statement proposed. “Formula 1, as the pinnacle of world motorsport, represents a unique technical challenge to constructors of a nature that the applicant has not faced in any other formula or discipline in which it has previously competed. On this basis,” the piranhas decided, “we do not believe that the applicant would be a competitive participant.”
How many current F1 teams boast the kind of record Andretti’s multitude of teams have amassed? Certainly not the quasi American team fielded by Gene Haas, which just jettisoned its manager, Gunther Steiner. Mid-packers at best, one has to wonder if Haas will cut his losses and sell to Andretti? It doesn’t seem to be too far-fetched an idea.
Learning of the disposition of their fate, Andretti Cadillac responded to Formula One Management’s decision: “Andretti Cadillac has reviewed the information Formula One Management Limited has shared and strongly disagree with its contents. Andretti and Cadillac are two successful global motorsports organizations committed to placing a genuine American works team in F1, competing alongside the world’s best.
“We are proud of the significant progress we have already made on developing a highly competitive car and power unit with an experienced team behind it, and our work continues at pace, the statement continued and concluded, “Andretti Cadillac would also like to acknowledge and thank the fans who have expressed their support.”
If that wasn’t enough for the first day of February, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team announced the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at the close of the 2024 season, as the noble Briton is slated to go to Ferrari next year. Hamilton had a release option in the contract he signed last August that allows him to depart, bringing to an end what is currently a 17-year relationship in F1 with Mercedes-Benz and an 11-year partnership with this works team.
“Mercedes has been part of my life since I was 13 years old,” Hamilton stated. “I’m so proud of what we have achieved together; it’s a place where I have grown up, so making the decision to leave was one of the hardest I have ever had to make. But the time is right,” he noted, “for me to take this step and I’m excited to be taking on a new challenge. I want to finish on a high note together. I am 100% committed to delivering the best performance I can this season and making my last year with the Silver Arrows one to remember.”
This change of venue for Hamilton, certainly one of the most successful F1 drivers of any era, brings to mind the boomerang effect of changing teams. Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher departed Ferrari to come to the fledgling Mercedes team led by Ross Brawn after being a 3-year consultant to Ferrari, once he stepped out of his F1 seat. Schumacher was 41 years old when he joined the M-B F1 team in 2010. Hamilton, who just turned 39 last month, will be 40 years old when the 2025 F1 season begins. He still isn’t the oldest F1 driver in the field; Fernando Alonso is 42 years old and remains competitive, so it will be up to Ferrari to equip this driver with a winning car in 2025.
Perhaps the F1 teams are afraid that Andretti Cadillac will kick their fannies!
Is Ann Profit any relation to Hayden Profit who was a drag racing star of the 1960’s ?