OPINION: After weeks of assessment, the FIA put Andretti’s application forward in its efforts to join the grid as an 11th team. But, had a 12th team been made possible, the New Zealand-based Rodin squad seemed to have everything it needed to be successful…
When Andretti was announced to have passed the FIA’s assessment process for an 11th Formula 1 team with a view to joining the field in either 2025, 2026, or 2027, it came at the expense of the other three entrants that had made it into the “second phase”: Hitech, LKYSUNZ, and Rodin.
The FIA cited that Andretti “was the only candidate to meet the stringent criteria that were set by the FIA in all material respects from the four teams which lodged formal applications”, which not only featured both technical and sporting capabilities but also evidence of funding and sustainability cases to ensure that F1 can continue to meet its goal of “net zero” by 2030. Teams were also required to demonstrate methods of producing “positive societal impact” through the setup of the team. Andretti has so far not officially disclosed how it has met those criteria and may be keeping its public powder dry to ensure it satisfies F1 enough to get its break onto the grid.
Jake studied engineering at university, as his original ambition was to design racing cars. He was bad at that, and thus decided to write about them instead with an equally limited skillset. The above article is a demonstration of that. In his spare time, Jake enjoys people, places, and things.
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