The FIA, the governing body of the Formula 1 World Championship, on Monday announced it has approved Andretti Global's bid to enter the sport as a new 11th team.
Andretti Global, run by Michael Andretti, owner of successful IndyCar team Andretti Autosport and son of 1978 F1 world champion Mario Andretti, has the backing of General Motors for its entry, which will compete as Andretti Cadillac.
Andretti Global has also signed a deal with Renault to use its power unit, albeit branded as a Cadillac power unit.
Andretti Global isn't confirmed a spot on the grid just yet. The next stage will be convincing Liberty Media, F1's commercial rights holder.
Andretti Global was one of four finalists to have a bid considered by the FIA. The other three bids have been rejected, the FIA said. They included bids from New Zealand's Rodin, British racing team Hitech Grand Prix, and an Asia-based motorsports startup by the name of Lkysunz.
The FIA said Andretti Global was the only entity that fulfilled the selection criteria, which includes sustainability and positive societal impact criteria, as well as more traditional financial and performance criteria.
“We appreciate the FIA’s rigorous, transparent and complete evaluation process, and are incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to compete in such a historic and prestigious championship,” Andretti Global said in a statement. “The formation of this distinctly American team is an important moment of pride for all our employees and fans.”
Should Andretti Global's plans to enter F1 prove successful, it isn't clear in what season it will debut.
Andretti Global won't be the only new entity in F1. Ford is set to return to F1 in 2026 as a partner of leading team Red Bull Racing, and Audi is set to join the sport for the first time, also in 2026, by taking control of Sauber, which currently competes as Alfa Romeo.
