FIA approves Andretti entry as 11th F1 team from 2025-26
The FIA has given Andretti Formula Racing the green light to join the Formula 1 grid, subject to it reaching a commercial agreement with FOM.
Yeah the FIA approved them but FOM has not yet, kind of misleading title on the article.
But while the FIA is happy with the Andretti bid and believes it fulfils all the criteria it has laid down, that does not mean that the squad will definitely get a place on the grid.
Andretti now needs to reach a satisfactory commercial deal with FOM, and there has long been a known resistance to the field getting expanded beyond 10 teams.
afaik FIA decides who gets onto the grid. FOM decides whether they will be televised.
FOM approval will either include the upfront joining fee or the agreement of all the teams, correct?
Or do the teams have a veto regardless?
I read something that suggested the teams can't actually stop Andretti from competing. But they can stipulate that they receive no TV coverage or something equally as bonkers.
The teams have no say (at least formally, in practice they could boycott the races or even threat again to create their breakaway series). FIA only can add them to the entrants list. Everything else is FOM.
TV rights? FOM. Contracts with the circuits? FOM. Contracts with DHL? FOM. Contracts with Pirelli? FOM.
So if FOM said so, Andretti wouldn't be able to ship their cars, enter the circuits or even have tires.
I really hope Andretti ends up being able to join.
More cars on track lead to more racing--and I think Andretti is genuinely interested in being a competitive team. Even if they end up over-promising like Haas we'll still end up with more competition overall.