FIA approves Andretti Formula Racing bid to join F1

Michael Andretti's bid to field an American team in the Formula One World Championship made a major breakthrough as the FIA approved its application after a "rigorous analysis". 

"Following the conclusion of a comprehensive application process for prospective teams seeking to participate at a competitive level in the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile has concluded that the application by Andretti Formula Racing LLC should progress to the next stage," said the FIA in an official statement.

According to the FIA, Andretti's team was the only applicant approved out of the four candidate teams that made their bid to join the top class open wheel racing championship.

“Andretti Formula Racing LLC was the only entity which fulfills the selection criteria that was set in all material respects. I congratulate Michael Andretti and his team on a thorough submission. I also want to thank all prospective teams for their interest and participation," said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA president.

"Andretti Cadillac is honored that the FIA has approved Andretti Formula Racing's Expression of Interest for the FIA Formula One World Championship. We appreciate the FIA’s rigorous, transparent and complete evaluation process and are incredibly excited to be given the opportunity to compete in such a historic and prestigious championship," said the team in an official statement.

"The formation of this distinctly American team is an important moment of pride for all our employees and fans. We feel strongly that Andretti Cadillac’s deep racing competencies and the technological advancements that come from racing will benefit our customers while heightening enthusiasm for F1, globally," the team added.

Part of the stringent review of applicants included sustainability management in line with the FIA’s ambition of achieving the sport's goals for net zero by 2030. Any prospective F1 team was also required to illustrate how they intend to achieve a positive societal impact through their participation in the sport.

The FIA's approval means Andretti Formula Racing LLC’s submission will now be passed to Formula One Management (FOM) for commercial discussions.

While the FIA nod does bring Andretti closer to their goal of fielding another team in F1, they do have to secure a rather "unexcited" FOM's approval.

"We note the FIA’s conclusions in relation to the first and second phases of their process and will now conduct our own assessment of the merits of the remaining application," was F1's official reaction to the announcement.