What Michael Andretti’s resignation could mean for the F1 bid

Racing team owner and international business figure Michael Andretti is relinquishing his ownership interest in Andretti Global, a company spokesperson confirmed. The drive on Friday afternoon. However, Andretti – the son of Formula 1 champion and racing legend Mario Andretti – will “continue to serve as a strategic advisor and key ambassador.” While it’s too early to tell, this recent move will undoubtedly have a major effect on the team’s bid to race in F1 in 2026.

“Michael’s goal was to transition to a more strategic role at Andretti Global and focus less on the operational side of the racing team,” an Andretti Global spokesperson said. The drive. “He and Dan Towriss have been working on a structure of what this could look like and have arrived at a direction that Michael is very happy with and believes will bring a positive future.

“Michael remains committed and will continue to serve as a strategic advisor and key ambassador. We will have more to share in the coming weeks after Michael and Dan have had the opportunity to speak with the team,” she added.

Sportico published a report Friday morning revealing Andretti’s transition, citing three sources close to the matter. It is believed that Towriss – who runs Gainbridge and Group 1001 – will step into Andretti’s shoes, but this has not been confirmed.

In April last year it was announced that Andretti Global – then Andretti Autosport – welcomed Towriss as a new co-owner. News of the ownership change broke almost by accident as Towriss teamed up with Andretti to collect the ownership trophy at IndyCar’s Long Beach Grand Prix. Despite a busy schedule due to his business ventures, Towriss is a constant presence at most, if not all, of the series’ races. And judging by today’s statement from Andretti Global, it appears that both Andretti and Towriss have been preparing for this moment for a long time.

What does this mean for the Andretti Cadillac F1 team?

I’ll be clear that it’s too early to know for sure which way things will go, but it’s not hard to make intelligent speculations. If you’ve been following the F1 versus Andretti saga, you’ll know that Liberty Media’s decision to reject Andretti’s 2020 entry was downright personal. F1 said Andretti would be uncompetitive, dilute the value of the series and take attention and therefore money away from established teams. Certainly– as long as you act as if all current F1 teams are competitive, add value to the series and contribute to the pot of money the teams share.

The real reason why their offer was rejected appears to be because of a personal feud between Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei and the Andretti family. Don’t you believe me? Here’s this great one-liner from Maffei at this year’s Miami GP: “Mario, I want to tell you that I will do everything I can to ensure that Michael never gets into Formula 1.” It’s worth noting that neither Maffei nor Liberty Media ever dismissed this reported exchange.

And who could forget the time F1 called General Motors and asked them to literally work with someone else? But Andretti? Yes, that happened too.

Michael giving up the role of owner and letting someone else with no ties to the family captain the ship is a smart move, and it could even help Andretti Cadillac’s situation. If Liberty Media really hates Mario and Michael that much, maybe they’ll love Towriss. After all, he has already spent a lot of money as a sponsor in F1. Every little bit helps, you know?

Maybe Maffei and his F1 mafia are willing to open the door for Andretti Cadillac as long as there’s no Andretti at the helm – or maybe not? Changing the leading man is a good start, albeit a sad one. The racing world is brutal enough to have to live with this drama worthy of a Mexican telenovela. While not everyone’s cup of tea, Mario, Michael and even Marco (who retired from racing full-time a few years ago) have done and continue to do their share of good for the racing industry. They employ hundreds of people, bring in sponsors and continue to promote motorsports worldwide through their IndyCar, Indy NXT, Formula E, Extreme E, IMSA, Super Copa and Australian Supercars teams.

Maybe a year from today we can add Formula 1 to that list.

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