Andretti Cadillac’s Formula 1 Dream: A Closer Look at the FIA Application Process

After six months, the FIA has finally zeroed down on the teams it would include in Formula 1 out of the four applications it received. The announcement should be expected anytime, but rumors have spread across the paddock that Andretti Cadillac meets all the requirements and would therefore be granted a Formula One license.

During the six months, the FIA conducted a thorough background check to understand the financial backing that the teams come with, in addition to assessing the leadership abilities of the applicants to own and manage an F1 team. Then, resources such as suitable manpower, tools, and factories were verified to ensure that the team has the right infrastructure in place to develop and race F1 cars. Lastly, a sustainability check was made to confirm that the team can operate in a carbon-neutral manner.

After a clean chit has been offered by the FIA, the ball rolls into the court of Formula 1 management that scrutinizes the intention of F1 participation, just to ensure that it isn’t being done for the purpose of goodwill or for the sole reason of profits arising expected from a team resale in the future. In addition, F1 also looks at the commercial benefits the team would bring to the sport.

Andretti Cadillac plans to race in Formula 1 from 2025. While the team is optimistic about matching the timeline, the process to assess their contribution to Formula 1 alone can take about six months. What primarily remains thereafter is the development and testing of their F1 car which, to be honest, looks like a pretty challenging task to achieve in a few months.

Fortunately, there are more chances of Andretti Cadillac’s application being accepted, courtesy of Article 2 of the FIA guidelines that was enforced by the EU Commission. This article states that the participation of a team cannot be withheld or canceled unless there are serious security concerns arising out of it or if there are serious concerns that the participation of the new team would jeopardize orderly proceedings.

Andretti Autosport is a renowned brand in the world of motorsport, while General Motors is a well-known global corporation. If the FIA or Formula 1 were to reject their applications, they would have to provide some concrete reasons with sufficient evidence to support their claims.

With Formula 1 expecting to increase its reach to the masses in the US, it’s uncertain if it would risk losing its chances of capitalizing on the opportunity in a legal fistfight with Andretti Cadillac.