Former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has confirmed talks with Michael Andretti about potentially leading the Andretti-Cadillac Formula 1 team. The team’s entry for the 2025 season has received initial approval from the FIA, but Formula 1 is currently reviewing the proposal amid resistance from existing teams concerned about the impact on prize money distribution.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding its F1 venture, Andretti is forging ahead with its plans. The team has set up a design base at Silverstone, recruited personnel, and formed a technical team under the leadership of former Renault technical director Nick Chester.
Andretti has unveiled a 2024-spec F1 prototype, currently undergoing testing in Toyota’s wind tunnel in Cologne. The primary focus is on refining processes and optimizing performance.
Szafnauer became part of the Alpine team at the start of the 2022 season, only to be unexpectedly removed midway through his second year as the Anglo-French brand faced a series of challenges.
As he contemplates his next career move, the American seems to have various possibilities in consideration, one of which is a potential opportunity to join Andretti-Cadillac, should the team’s Formula 1 aspirations materialize.
“I have had some discussions with Michael Andretti – he’d called me even before I went to Alpine and I told him I’d love to help him,” Szafnauer informed Motor Sport Magazine.
As Formula 1 evaluates the feasibility of including Andretti in its lineup, the team continues to target a debut in the 2025 season. However, there is no strict deadline mandating a potential postponement until 2026.
“We don’t really have one, just the earlier that we know, the better car we can do,” stated Chester in a conversation with Motorsport.com.
“It’s really tricky, it’s a super tough question. Because you want to have that confirmation of entry and an entry date, so that you can time the recruitment of all of your staff. Obviously, we’re still building up, but you would build up even quicker post-entry.
“The cut-off date is a bit more of a compromise in terms of performance. So, you can start pushing it later, but you just end up doing a worse car. The longer it drags out, it makes it harder to put a competitive car on the grid.”
