by VALERIO BARRETTA
Andretti, the exclusion from American F1 doesn’t go down well with the United States
The failure of commercial negotiations between Andretti and Liberty Media and the rejection of the US team’s bid to compete in F1 also involve US politics. In fact, last night’s news was the letter that 12 members of the United States Congress sent to Liberty Mediathe company that holds the commercial rights of F1, to close explanations on the reasons that led to Andretti’s exclusion from the Circus.
Members of Congress, according to what we learn from NBCthey are worried “for them obvious anti-competitive actions which could prevent two American companies, Andretti Global and General Motors (GM), from producing and competing in Formula 1“. In fact, it should be underlined that Andretti has signed an agreement with General Motors, and that the automotive giant has committed to entering F1 in 2028 and only with the US team.
The letter – to which Liberty Media has not yet responded – invokes the Sherman Act (the oldest antitrust law in the United States, which dates back to 1890), controversially asks whether the exclusion was designed to favor European teams against American competition (in reality among the ten present in the Circus there is already an American one, Haas), and essentially Liberty Media is accused of having defended a cartel: “It is unfair and wrong to attempt to block the entry of American companies into Formula 1, which may also violate American antitrust laws“.
Mario Andretti was present at the launch of the initiative and called a press conference outside the US Capitol to make a further appeal to F1: “We are ready with everything you need. We have all the necessary passion and determination. Give us the green light and let us participate. Our team is part of every major automotive discipline in the world. Formula 1 is the only one left and we want to be part of it“.
The leader of the initiative is Republican Congressman John James, but the 12 come from both sides, demonstrating bipartisan support for Andretti’s cause. The team was formally excluded because its presence “it would not bring value to the championship” but essentially because it would take away a slice of the revenue pie from the other teams. Something that Liberty Media masked behind a politician in its official statement “it would reduce the technical, operational and commercial spaces of other competitors“.
“From the outside you may ask: is this a cash acquisition? One wonders if Formula 1 and Liberty Media are perhaps trying to get a different deal, so they can move from $200 million (the amount of the fee to participate in the championship, ed) to 1 billion dollars from Andretti-Cadillac?“, this is James’ comment. “Meanwhile, Andretti-Cadillac has demonstrated its commitment, I believe, with millions of dollars per month to prepare to meet compliance standards. Hope we can resolve the matter to do business together with mutual benefit. But if not, we will ask for an answer to our questions. Why We have an obligation to protect the American consumer and American businesses: Those who try to take advantage of it will be held accountable. It’s not just about supporting Andretti. It’s about supporting Americans“.
