How F1's new team conservatism has already seen off one credible bid

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.

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Author Jake Boxall-Legge

Jake Boxall-Legge Autosport’s Technical Editor. Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.