Andretti to test 2023-spec F1 car in wind tunnel next week

Despite uncertainty over whether Andretti Cadillac will be allowed to join the championship as an 11th team or not, the American powerhouse team has pressed ahead with its plans and has built up a car to this year's specifications.

Andretti says the car will be in Toyota's Cologne wind tunnel next week as he continues to build up his team with a view to being on the grid in the 2025 season at the earliest.

"At the moment we are still shooting for 2025," Andretti told Sky Sports F1 at Austin's US Grand Prix.

"Our car is actually going to be in the wind tunnel next week, so we have a car already built up in 2023 spec. We are flat out and we are building a team, so at the moment it is '25 but could be '26, we'll see."

Andretti's application to join the F1 grid was recently approved by the FIA, but its fate still faces uncertainty as F1's commercial rights holder FOM, which also has to approve the entry, is less enthused about Andretti's plans to join as an 11th expansion team.

FOM is looking out for the interests of F1's current 10 teams, most of which are offering fierce resistance to the idea of having to share the championship's revenue with an additional party.

Photo by: Andretti Autosport

Andretti Cadillac logo

When asked if he understands the push-back from the current squads, who fear for their teams' long-term stability after weathering the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic, Andretti replied: "I don't know, it is a mystery to me in some ways why they are pushing back.

"They say we are slicing the pie but I think the point is we hopefully bring in more than what we take away and we really believe that. We think we are going to add to it and not take away from it.

"I think there is plenty to go around and, if can help improve the popularity of the US from where it is today, then I think there are a lot of companies that are not in the series right now that have already contacted us and are interested in it.

"Once we get the approval then they want to talk to us, so I disagree with that."

Andretti reaffirmed his intention of having his IndyCar driver Colton Herta in one of his two cars, even though his lack of an FIA superlicence still presents a stumbling block for now.

"Obviously, we talked a lot about Colton, and Colton is definitely at the top of our list, but we have the points problem, so we have to see how he does in IndyCar to hopefully get enough points to get a superlicence," said Andretti.

"We talked to a few others that do qualify. But the goal is to have at least one American in the car and then an experienced driver in the other car to help mentor him."