Aspiring Formula 1 entrant Andretti has announced it will spend $200 million (£170m) constructing new headquarters in Indiana.
Spread over more than 53,000 square metres, Andretti Global’s new base in Fishers, Indiana will be in operation by 2025, the company said. It expects to generate 500 new jobs. Construction is due to begin at the end of the year.Its existing IndyCar, Indy Lights and IMSA sportscar programmes will be run from the facility. Andretti said in a statement the premises will also be used for “other future racing initiatives”.
Michael Andretti is pursuing an entry into F1 for the team. He made an unsuccessful attempt to buy Sauber, which runs Alfa Romeo, last year, and also bidded for Force India’s assets when they were acquired by Lawrence Stroll in 2018, before he turned the team into Aston Martin.
Andretti is now seeking to enter his own team, but faces opposition from the existing 10 outfits, several of which have stated that any incoming entrant must demonstrate they add value to the sport.
The team’s new base will allow it to bring its multiple racing operations together, said Andretti. “Over the past 20 years I’ve worked to expand our operations and I’m proud of our steps to create a diverse racing portfolio.
“Our current facility has served us well. Our team has expanded in both competition and commercial areas and our people deserve the best environment and resources available. I’m excited to have so many of our teams under one roof as we continue to build and grow.
“For us, it’s about more than just having somewhere to work on the cars. It’s about having a global motorsport home and sharing that with our people, our fans and our sponsors to advance the sport and leave a lasting legacy.”
He said he is pleased to remain in the state of Indiana, which “holds an important place in the history of racing and in my career as a driver and an owner.
“I’m happy to confirm that the racing capital of the world will continue to be the home of our global racing efforts for a long time to come. We’re excited about our plans for the new campus and looking forward to becoming a part of the Fishers community.”
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ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
22nd August 2022, 16:25
#TIL: racing capital of the world
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
22nd August 2022, 17:12
“Andretti is now seeking to enter his own team, but faces opposition from the existing 10 outfits, several of which have stated that any incoming entrant must demonstrate they add value to the sport.”
This will never not enrage me. Domenicali and Bin Sulayem should be ashamed for letting the competitors run their business for them.
OOliver
22nd August 2022, 18:18
Sincerely, what is Andretti asking F1 for, is it a free entry? What about other teams or individuals who want to get into f1?
Let us be done with all the emotional blackmail. Any new team has to comply with the requirements we cant just make a free entry because the team comes from one part of the world. If we apply such sentiments then we just should give the entry to the Ukraine and the championship also.
Free_B
22nd August 2022, 18:41
@OOLiver, you seem to be pretty certain that free entry is the sticking point. I don’t recall seeing that written anywhere with certainty.
Look, any world-class league will have have the current teams reticent to add new entrants simply because that is sharing the pie with others..UNLESS there is a bigger pie in the offing. So the question is: does Andretti make for a significantly bigger pie? We’ve already got three races in the US without a US team. Social media push, Netflix etc are growing the US market at a reasonable pace… so it is a reasonable question to ask: why add Andretti or any other team?
On the other hand, brand Formula One needs to decide whether its trying to be a regional league ( a la Champions League) or a truly global platform (a la World Cup, Olympics). That doesn’t only mean race venues but drivers and teams.
chimaera2003 (@chimaera2003)
22nd August 2022, 20:34
I understand the points you are making in that existing teams will want to protect their investment. I don’t necessarily agree with the concept but running an F1 team requires multi-year commitment (if you want to be any good) and revenue certainty helps here, for instance AM’s new factory will have had finance secured against agreed future revenue. Will a new factory have been built otherwise, I am not certain of that.
Issue I have is that people have said that Audi/VW will add the necessary value whereas Andretti will not, I just can’t see the logic from where I stand. At least with Andretti you have a chance of getting some more audience or solidifying newly gained audience. I can’t see how any existing Audi/VW fans will suddenly decide F1 is for them now that Audi are directly involved.
MacLeod (@macleod)
23rd August 2022, 8:02
I thought Haas was a American Team?
JohnH (@johnrkh)
24th August 2022, 12:03
@macleod It is certainly Gene Haas is head quartered in North Carolina, big in NASCAR as well I believe.
MacLeod (@macleod)
24th August 2022, 13:13
Thanks @johnrkh I thought so because i was answering Free_B as he said there are 3 races in the US but no US team.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
22nd August 2022, 19:41
The current FIA standards for safety will make it impossible for an Andrea Moda style entry. Any team that wants to participate in the F1 world championship let alone compete will have to have the facilities and resources necessary to build a chassis that can pass the FIA crash test and safety requirements. Besides, the FIA already audits teams’ facilities so they know exactly what it takes to build a F1 car.
The real issue is the current pot which will have to be divided by 11 teams. No one is willing to give up his own share of the money and give a new team a free entrance to the elite club of F1. The 200$ million anti dilution fee is in perfect conformity with this logic. Anyone who wants to enter the club must pay an entrance fee.
Hiland (@flyingferrarim)
23rd August 2022, 15:12
Andretti has checked all the boxes being asked of them for entry onto the grid of F1. They are not entering for “free” as there is a $200M anit-delusion fee that Andretti are willing to pay, for entry, that goes to the other 10 teams per the Concorde Agreement the teams agreed to with the FIA. At the end of the day the teams don’t have a vote and its really down to F1 from my understanding.
Mark Reville (@myrrve)
22nd August 2022, 18:53
An American team that designs and builds it’s own chassis, builds it’s own engines and employs American drivers would be very welcome in F1, in my opinion. The sport needs this kind of diversity rather than more of the strategic alliances like there are at present such as those involving Haas/Ferrari, Sauber/Alfa Romeo and Williams/ Mercedes.
MacLeod (@macleod)
23rd August 2022, 8:04
That would be Great and something i always wished for but I was sucker for the comics Michiel Valiant……
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
22nd August 2022, 19:38
Oh…… just let them in already. I don’t believe in the ‘dilution fee’ at all. I think Minardi, Simtek, Forti et al, all brought something to the sport with ideas, jobs and opportunities. Many at the top now got there because of opportunities in very small teams. *Looking at you Newey & Brawn.
They might be successful. The facility looks like it might be better than a few current teams, perhaps that is the biggest threat? I think the idea that the current teams have a hegemony on entry might serve them in the short term, but in long run, I think the sport will suffer.
Andretti are clearly serious.
If I could run the 100m in 9.8 seconds, but couldn’t because I had to pay 10k to the other competitors because I might harm their earnings, I would ask whether you could call it a ‘sport’.
Captain Pie (@captainpie)
22nd August 2022, 20:49
I understand the concerns from teams about less winnings per standing etc but this is what the sport needs, more competitors across all facets of the sport.
Just imagine if Andretti could tempt a big US engine manufacturer into the sport again…
MacLeod (@macleod)
24th August 2022, 13:20
@captainpie – to be honest i think that is way to expensive to develop a US engine as the US way of engines building is totally the different way from the rest of the world.
If companies like the VW group has to put their resources on this and still we have to wonder if they come close to the four engines builders? But maybe miracles are still there and we see Ford again in F1….
Adrian
22nd August 2022, 23:07
F1 needs Andretti. F1 does not need a cabal of VW interests buying into existing teams to make F1 engines even more boring than they already are.
MacLeod (@macleod)
23rd August 2022, 8:05
Is it me or Looks the building very much on the McLaren building? (Will they have also the underground race track?)
Mark in Florida
23rd August 2022, 13:32
Andretti hadn’t complained about the 200 million dollar fee to my knowledge. They are complaining about Christian and Toto blocking their entry. They tried buying out the AR team but Ferrari still thought they should be able to tell Michael what to do with his own team. So he declined to buy it. Michael apparently has the money and financial backing it comes down to the other teams not wanting a new entrant that doesn’t bring enough value. So I guess they want a bribe or something? I think that they don’t want to share the prize money. The pie slice will get narrowed by having more teams. Plus I’m sure that Toto has done the math and figures that Porsche and Audi are going to cut more and more into the pie. He doesn’t need Andretti breathing down his neck as well. So to sum it up, the problem is base greed and selfishness. The bane of mankind.
Hiland (@flyingferrarim)
23rd August 2022, 15:07
It was not Ferrari telling Michael what to do rather the Alfa folks making a stink. VW and Porche are not adding teams so they will not be “eating” into the pie. They are embedding themselves into existing teams which won’t affect others. The main issue is Toto (he seams to be the loudest) and others don’t want to give up more of the pie even though Andretti is willing to pay the significant $200M anti-delusion fee. Andretti has checked all the boxes to enter and therefor should be allowed in regardless the views of the current teams are. At the end of the day the FIA makes the call, not the teams. Teams as far as I understand the rules have zero say/vote to allow or disallow a new entrant.
JohnH (@johnrkh)
24th August 2022, 12:05
This closed-shop franchise system sucks.