Andretti have provided an update on their ongoing (and loud) Formula 1 entry process. Having been the first team to respond to the FIA’s Expression of Interest process, Andretti feels confident enough to build a team in preparation for the proposal deadline on May 15th.
When asked by Martin Brundle at the Miami GP how the entry was going, Andretti said: “We’re working on it. We have that process that we’re in the middle of with the FIA. [We’re] submitting our paperwork and [will] hopefully get an answer [in the] middle of July, so we’re making good progress.
“We’re building a team as we speak, and it would be awesome [to have the Andretti] name back in F1 – that and Cadillac would be awesome.”
General Motors, in particular, Cadillac will be supporting the team and facilities are already being built in Fishers, Indiana, which will also serve as the team’s headquarters. These facilities will also encompass other racing series like Formula E, IndyCar, and Extreme E.
Known staff includes Nick Chester of Renault as Technical Director, John McQuilliam of Manor Grand Prix as Chief Designer, Joe Tomlinson of Chester as Head of Aerodynamics.
An engine supplier has been secured but no details have been released as to who that supplier is though it seems likely to be Honda given General Motors relationship with Honda in other series.
Andretti isn’t the only team vying for entry with Formula Equal, a (rumoured) Saudi backed team promising equal opportunities for both men and women, British team H26, and LKY SUNZ. The latter team is the last declared prospective entrant based in South-East Asia focusing on representation from minority groups.
