In the round-up: Andretti Global has announced the opening of a new facility in Silverstone as part of its plans to enter the Formula 1 world championship.
In brief
Andretti opens Silverstone facility
The American team which participates in multiple motor racing series applied to enter F1 last year. Its bid was was approved by the FIA in October, but rejected by Formula One Management four months later.
However while FOM denied Andretti’s bid to join the championship next year or in 2026, it left the door open for it to join in 2028, when it intends to bring Cadillac in as a power unit supplier.
In the meantime Andretti has established a base in Britain for its F1 operation. Currently home to around 80 staff, the facility will be used for manufacturing, offices and meeting facilities.
“This new space will continue to work hand in hand with our principal Andretti site in Indiana, and our Formula E facility in Banbury and will be a collaborative site for our global family of race teams,” said Andretti in a statement.
Fans turn up for Tsunoda’s tyre test
A group of a few hundred fans turned up to watch the second and final day of Pirelli’s tyre test at Suzuka as Yuki Tsunoda took over from RB team mate Daniel Ricciardo. Valtteri Bottas continued in the second car run by Sauber.Tsunoda covered 115 laps compared to 149 for Bottas. “As is always the case in this type of test, the drivers can be said to be working in the dark,” said Pirelli motorsport director Mario Isola, “in other words without knowing what type of prototype they are testing, alternating with the current tyres, so that their feedback is completely unbiased.
“With over 3000 kilometres covered at Suzuka, we have acquired a huge amount of data on the slicks, as well as some information relating to the intermediate tyres. Over the coming months, this year’s test programme will continue to focus on finalising a construction that provides greater durability and on a complete renewal of the range of compounds, with the aim of reducing overheating. In addition, as from September, development will also start on the 2026 tyres.”
Newgarden leads Larson as Indy 500 testing begins
Last year’s Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden was quickest in the first day of testing for this year’s race, averaging 368.236kph around the oval. NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, who will make his debut in the race this year for McLaren, was second-fastest. Rain disrupted running earlier in the day.
Rasmussen and Butcher take Esports wins.
Red Bull’s Frederik Rasmussen won the Jeddah round of the Formula 1 Sim Racing Championship as the series resumed following a four-month hiatus. Alfie Butcher won the day’s second race on the Red Bull Ring having retired from the earlier encounter after damaging his front wing.
Second and third place in both races went to Thomas Ronhaar and Ismael Fahssi respectively. The pair provided the pick of the action with lively scraps over the lower podium places over the final laps in each race.
Red Bull launch more NFTs
Formula 1 teams’ appetite for non-fungible tokens shows no sign of letting up. Red Bull has announced a second series of its NFTs issued in conjunction with prominent sponsor Bybit. This year’s releases will coincide with the Monaco, Italian and Abu Dhabi grands prix.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Van Amersfoort targeting European turnaround starting with Barcelona test (Formula 3)
'Unfortunately, we have been struggling with Qualifying and in F3 this kind of defines the weekend. The race pace was quite competitive. However, we also were unlucky with some incidents.'
Belgian FIA WEC round presented to media at special press conference in Liege (WEC)
'With just a month to go before the event, the team at Spa-Francorchamps are working hard to provide the best possible welcome for the teams, the 37 cars entered in the WEC and more than 70,000 people expected to attend the race.'
Bruce Kessler, prolific TV director and adventurer, dies at 88 (Variety)
'His first film, the Formula 1 short 'The Sound of Speed,' represented the US at the Cannes Film Festival. The technical expertise he brought to the film led to him being hired as technical advisor on racing and chase sequences for movies, and he served as second unit director for Howard Hawks on 'Red Line 7000.''
Go-kart company fined after schoolgirl death (BBC)
'After closer examination of the kart Ruwaida was driving, it was found to be faulty.'
30 under 30 Europe 2024 (Forbes)
Lando Norris is named among the 'next generation of game changers'.
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
💬 "It's important to have a presence here".
An exciting day opening our new facility at Silverstone, which will support our HQ in Indianapolis. pic.twitter.com/se8VM0ZGY6
— Andretti Global (@AndrettiGlobal) April 10, 2024
It was fun… then it rained ☔️ pic.twitter.com/nM3bg4W6ql
— Jack Harvey (@jack_harvey93) April 10, 2024
https://twitter.com/ConorDaly22/status/1778105029536182466
Spent the day @IMS working through mechanical/electrical issues before the rain came. Didn’t get a proper run in. Hoping for a window tomorrow 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/yYlZsCk66Q
— Ryan Hunter-Reay (@RyanHunterReay) April 10, 2024
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Is there something more to Helmut Marko heaping praise on Yuki Tsunoda after last weekend’s race?
It’s a bit of an embellishment to say Yuki was on a par with Verstappen and Alonso. But like you say I don’t think the fans were necessarily the intended audience. It may be partly to do with the internal politics with Horner who some rumors have it, supports Ricciardo in quite a strong way.
Phil Norman (@Phil-f1-21)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Aniket Garg!
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
11th April 2024, 1:09
I really like andretti! “No, you can’t enter, sorry”, “Let’s make a new facility in preparation for entering!”, when stuff like this happens I’d do the same.
Nick T.
11th April 2024, 6:52
Agreed. They’re jThey now have a bigger European operation than Haas + about 5x more employees when you count the US base.
I really don’t see anyway F1 can keep them from joining. Maybe not for 2026, but for 2028 at latest definitely.
MacLeod (@macleod)
11th April 2024, 7:49
Maybe but when he brings his cause to the european court as he has the FIA ok i think the FOM should worry as that could be very costly for them. (Something monopoly wise)
Nick T.
11th April 2024, 7:55
I think if they even threaten to bring it to the EU court they’ll immediately be allowed in cause they’ll have no decent case.
SteveP
11th April 2024, 8:05
The legal defence team point out that they have no PU until 2028, but would have to survive on a force majeure PU supply – effectively a Renault B team at best.
S
11th April 2024, 9:36
All well within agreed and official regulations, though. An exceptionally weak defence.
And that assumes that Renault wouldn’t be happy to supply earlier even outside of the ‘forced’ supply terms.
SjaakFoo (@sjaakfoo)
11th April 2024, 13:08
And Andretti’s lawyers would simply point to the 6 other teams running customer engines and ask why they’re allowed to compete if it’s such a big reason to not allow a new team in.
SteveP
11th April 2024, 14:40
and the defence points to the alleged “added value” of Andretti being the Cadillac engine – which they don’t have until 2028 and the text of the FOM response that suggests they apply later, when they have the engine.
You see, as ever, no one will make money out of that one – except the legal reps.
MichaelN
12th April 2024, 15:13
The engine situation is the worst part of Andretti’s bid, but the rules already provide for a solution – thanks to Red Bull. In 2025, Andretti would buy Renault engines as they do not supply anyone else and would have to step up.
It would get more complicated in 2026, when Audi (Sauber), Honda (Aston Martin), Renault (Alpine) will each only supply one team and – as far as I know – there is no way in the rules to determine who’d have to supply a team then.
SteveP
12th April 2024, 19:51
The last one to run out of the door :)
SteveR (@stever)
12th April 2024, 21:24
To be clear, the engines are not sold, they’re rented and returned to the engine supplier after their stint in the cars.
harold wilson
12th April 2024, 10:54
Please stop with the claim of fom been monopoly. The whole structure of the FIA law enforcement and fom commercial rights holder was done to avoid EU competition scrutiny. You can take them to court over something else but not them been a monopoly.
S
12th April 2024, 15:19
The monopoly aspect is still completely relevant, though.
Liberty now has the power that was taken away from the FIA – full control to decide who can make money in F1 and who can’t.
It’s the exact definition of monopolistic activity and business structure. It will be challenged – the only question is when and by whom.
Jim from US (@jimfromus)
11th April 2024, 2:23
Andretti should have been accepted but this is a good move for him in the long run because Williams or Haas will sell or need a partner in the next 3 to 5 years.
notagrumpyfan
11th April 2024, 8:07
Building a base, and hiring local staff, is typically not a preparation before buying another local entity. Quite to opposite: many businesses buy a local operation so they don’t have to set up shop themselves in that region.
Of course they could still be targeting Haas.
Crawliin-from-the-wreckage (@davedai)
11th April 2024, 14:53
Could be. Too many players potentially though.
I can’t see Haas selling.
Mine would be on Alpine imploding and ostracized from the family.
Although now apparently Marko has been slipping vague innuendo into chats.
Some seem to see them taking out a lease on this newly-constructed Unit 1134 at Silverstone Park in Towcester, as a bad thing. I don’t see it that way. Apparently they can expand in steps if needed.
2 things really matter
– attracting the ” best of British”
– excellent integration with the massive Indiana factory, and Banbury.
I’d like them to go ground up , but part of me wants them buy Alpine and deny any “anti dilution” fee.
notagrumpyfan
11th April 2024, 15:48
I, for one, hope they can enter and pay the $200M anti-dilution fee.
Just to show how the F1 business model has changed since 2020 when many still claimed it was too high, to now find it to be a very fair (and maybe even cheap) way into the sport.
Also, I want to see 12-13 teams, and hopefully a bit more global.
S
11th April 2024, 15:56
The main reason FOM have made the argument to defer Andretti’s potential entry until 2028 is that there’ll be a new Concorde Agreement in place before then.
It won’t be a $200m fee anymore….
The teams didn’t even try to hide the fact that they will make the financial barrier will increase – as soon as the FIA announced they were opening up the entry process to potential new entrants, the existing teams called emergency meetings to have the Concorde Agreement updated immediately.
Sandwhichands
11th April 2024, 3:22
Let Andretti in on effort alone!!’
Jere (@jerejj)
11th April 2024, 5:34
A few hundred people for a mere tyre test speaks volumes about the location-specific fan culture.
Steven Williamson
11th April 2024, 5:50
The FIA approved Andretti to enter the championship – the points championship. FOM won’t let them enter the prize money championship. As I understand it, they can race for points, just no prize money, and I hope they do! Would be funny to see them take points off teams that “add value”!
Steven Williamson
11th April 2024, 5:57
I guess this was only true for the previous Concord agreement, the latest Concord agreement will not allow a team on the grid without being a full signatory and full participation in FOM.
S
11th April 2024, 6:35
Your first comment was correct.
FOM have no power or authority to exclude FIA-approved participants from competing at F1 events and for F1 championship points. The Concorde Agreement is purely commercial – it is not at all not regulatory.
Andretti could win the FIA Formula One World championship next year and yet receive no prize money, commercial payments or official media coverage, nor be allowed to use any self-produced F1 imagery for their own marketing.
Exclusion from the championship/events in FOM’s language means exclusion from money and marketing, because that’s all Liberty/FOM control – and, in reality, is all they are interested in.
Retired (@jeff1s)
11th April 2024, 7:00
So Lando is among a group of 30 people under 30 years old that is about to change the future ?
Forget all the people who fight for rights and wars and peace, welcome the son of a rich to change this world.
Jay
11th April 2024, 7:14
This is a really great realization Jeff1s. And when you start to see things like this, they pop up everywhere and you start to realize how empty and fake most things in this world are. I can only say to search for inner peace and to love friends and family as much as you can. I know I can work on this just as much as anybody!
I hope you have a pleasant day and don’t dwell too much on the upside down nature of a lot of things.
MacLeod (@macleod)
11th April 2024, 7:54
Game changer is not the same world changer (not sure why Forbes came with it as i can’t read it)
notagrumpyfan
11th April 2024, 8:11
Maybe younger people who can have an impact on the gaming industry ;)
ludewig
11th April 2024, 8:39
@jeff1s
Well, Forbes is similar to Gartner, a news source for midwits who themselves will never achieve anything and who will never actually understand the world.
SteveP
11th April 2024, 11:21
Well, it seems there is at least one thing we can agree on.
Nick T.
12th April 2024, 0:14
Generally, but they have surprisingly good coverage of the Ukraine war. Miles better than the atrocious schlock coming from the Old Gray Lady and other papers – some of which I subscribe to.
ElGreco
11th April 2024, 18:01
Whenever I see these age lists (Best … under 30/40/50), I can never quite figure out if these people are supposed to be impressive because of, or despite, their younger age. Seems a bit silly either way….
Asd
11th April 2024, 8:00
You got to be impressed with how well Andretti run their business. They do not compete in any highly profitable racing series, yet they’ve got the money to build facilities like that on a different continent.
Could they be hired to build spare cars for Williams? Hah. Just joking.
SteveP
11th April 2024, 11:25
Have they built it, or rented and badged it?
It has that tech-business park rental premise look about it. Not that the buy/build/rent has much relevance, it’s what is inside it that matters – facilities and tech staff.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
11th April 2024, 11:54
Something that isn’t mentioned in the andretti news bit.
The new facility isn’t just about F1 as they are planning to submit an entry to both F3 & F2.
bull mello (@bullmello)
11th April 2024, 20:08
Good to know. @gt-racer
Nick T.
12th April 2024, 0:16
That’s kind of glaring omission.
anon
12th April 2024, 22:48
Nick T., it is probably because Michael has been claiming for a while now that he was supposedly about to enter Formula 2 and Formula 3.
The original proposal from Michael Andretti was to start in Formula 2 and Formula 3, and build up his race team to the point that he could then compete in Formula 1. That plan was then rewritten to prioritise entering Formula 1 first, and then expanding into Formula 2 and Formula 3 afterwards.
That said, in mid 2023, Bruno Michel was asked about the proposals from the Andretti’s to enter Formula 2 and Formula 3. He indicated that the Andretti’s had not yet applied, and in fact they had not even contacted Formula Motorsport (the body that runs Formula 2) to begin discussions on a possible application.
That might be why, when some of the team bosses in Formula 2 and Formula 3 were asked last year what they thought of Michael’s promises, most of them also noted they’d heard nothing about the supposed Andretti Formula 2 and Formula 3 teams either. A few did also seem to suggest they thought Michael was making more promises to enter series than he was actually capable of delivering…
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
12th April 2024, 21:57
I admire their approach, but it didn’t help Hitech… Certainly answers my next question about what all those people do.
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
11th April 2024, 13:11
Like others above, I also like Andretti’s attitude.
“Oh – we are not welcome?
Whatever.
We will set up house in your neighbourhood and just do what we do because we love doing it”
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
12th April 2024, 9:13
Thank you for COTD @Keithcollantine