F1: Andretti entrant request requires the agreement of both F1 and the FIA
Formula One has issued a statement insisting that processes must be followed and any team willing to join will need to prove it is credible for the long term.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently revealed on Twitter that he was talking to his team about the prospect of starting a process for new teams to join the F1 grid.
READ MORE: FIA President starts process for prospective new teams to join F1 grid
F1 has downplayed claims that FIA will solely evaluate any potential new entrants to the Sport.
“There is great interest in the F1 project at this time with a number of conversations continuing that are not as visible as others,” said F1.
“We all want to ensure the championship remains credible and stable and any new entrant request will be assessed on criteria to meet those objectives by all the relevant stakeholders.
“Any new entrant request requires the agreement of both F1 and the FIA.”
Asked by Motorsport.com if he was more optimistic about getting an entry thanks to Sulayem’s attitude, Andretti said: “Yeah, we believe so. In the end, it is still an FIA series.
“The President has definitely showed that he really would like to have an 11th team, at least on the grid. He is a racer, and he understands the importance of that for the series itself.
“So, yeah, we feel very confident that, once the expression of interest goes out, especially having our great partnership with Cadillac, we have a very, very, very good shot at checking every box and being able to be on the grid soon.”
Andretti remains confident that his operation has what it takes to secure a spot.
“I 1,000% believe it, I believe that we checked every box that needs to be checked to be able to enter F1. And I feel like we’re definitely ahead of our competition to get there. So yeah, I feel very, very confident that we’ll be on the grid soon.”
