Andretti tease ‘big things in store’ after rebrand announcement

Andretti Autosport have announced that they will be rebranding to Andretti Global, to reflect the team’s parent company – and they have teased “big things in store” for their future.

Chairman and CEO Michael Andretti has been vocal in his attempts to try and get his team onto the Formula 1 grid, through various bids to buy existing teams and through submitting an ‘expression of interest’ to the FIA this year.

The outcome of the bid is not yet known, but alongside the construction of a new headquarters in Indiana to house all their motorsport projects, the focus at the team is very much on expansion – and Formula 1 remains a key part of those plans.

Andretti Global confirms ‘appetite to expand’ with rebrand

In the announcement confirming the rebranding, Andretti said that, while they compete in eight different series at the moment, there is “an appetite to expand its worldwide footprint into other major motorsports series.”

They have teamed up with General Motors, through Cadillac, to launch a bid to reach Formula 1, but this rebranding has been dubbed a “major milestone” by their chairman.

“I’m proud of what Andretti Autosport has accomplished over the years, and all the memories that have come with so many special moments,” Michael Andretti said.

“我一样骄傲的我们的过去,同样我的前女友cited about our future. As we continue to expand and build a global racing institution, our goal is to be engrained in the culture of our fans, teams and partners.

“This rebrand is a major milestone in our team’s journey, but we are only getting started. We are determined to achieve success and confident that there are big things in store for Andretti Global.”

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Andretti F1 reportedly ‘close to being approved by FIA’

Sky Sports’ Ted Kravitz reported that the Andretti Global bid is on its way to gaining FIA approval, but that does not mean they would have a place on the grid – as the existing teams also get a say in whether or not a new team is added to the sport.

The overriding view among the existing team principals is that the current grid should not be expanded without a new team bringing a significant amount of financial backing with them, so the status of the bid is set to run on further.

“The word in the paddock is that Andretti Global, backed up with General Motors’ Cadillac brand, are close to being approved by the FIA,” he explained on ‘Ted’s Notebook’ on Sky F1.

“All the other teams in Formula 1, [F1 CEO] Stefano Domenicali and Formula 1 on the commercial side have said that they are not going to [allow them in], they don’t think there’s space in the Concorde Agreement.

“They’re not going to enter into negotiations to allow another team in, so that’s a story to watch.

“Whether it is only Andretti Global that’s going to be allowed in, or whether Hitech Grand Prix led by Oliver Oakes is going to be approved by the FIA then that’s going to reach a stumbling block because Formula 1 and the other teams don’t want to let them in. That’s a story that’s going to run and run.”

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