F1: FIA approves Andretti, three others rejected (3rd Update)

Rodin Cars has revealed its F1 entry bid has been rejected by the FIA, but that the Andretti-Cadillac bid has been approved.

In a statement confirming the team’s rejection, Rodin founder David Dicker said: “We wish to emphasize that our objective here is not to criticize the FIA or seek a reconsideration of its decision,” said a statement.

“We fully respect and accept the outcome. Our sole purpose is to release information we consider in the public interest to inform the Formula 1 community.”

“We appreciate the opportunity to have participated in the FIA process and extend our best wishes to Andretti for their successful bid.

“Rodin Cars remains committed to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and will continue to pursue excellence in the world of racing.”

We expect the FIA is holding off making an announcement regarding Andretti until the USGP at COTA the weekend of Oct. 20-22 in front of the American crowd.

The Andretti-Cadillac team is headed to a possible big announcement from F1 and the FIA at the USGP in Austin.

(GMM) Andretti has cleared another hurdle in its quest to race in Formula 1 from 2025.

The same, however, cannot be said of another interested new entrants, including Rodin Carlin and Hi-Tech, who are believed to have now been told by the FIA that their applications amid the tender process were rejected.

Also rejected is a group called Lkysunz, despite its CEO Benjamin Durand announcing that it is actually willing to come up with a $600 million entry fee rather than the existing $200m.

“We have heard the comments of the teams and we wholeheartedly recognize the effort, commitment, and investment that they’ve poured into the sport alongside the Formula 1 Group and FIA to bring it to its current level,” he said.

“With the news of our additional funding, we are delighted to confirm that Lkysunz is prepared to meet the teams’ request and pay a $600m anti-dilution payment despite this current cycle of the financial regulations stating $200m.”

However, only Andretti is understood to have secured the green light from the FIA, while commercial negotiations with Liberty Media are also said to be going well.

The FIA and F1 are yet to confirm the latest reports.

“We’re just going to wait and see how the process plays out,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

“I think the one thing I would say is the value of a Formula 1 team and an entry, from what it was five years ago, is worth substantially more now. So I think that that element needs to be discussed.”

If the latest reports are true, however, the FIA has now put the fate of the newly-rebranded Andretti Global into the hands of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.

“I’m sure Stefano knows how to deal with this in our best interest,” said Haas boss Gunther Steiner. “We put our faith in FOM to deal with it.”

Autosport’s German language sister title Motorsport-Total.com understands that only the Andretti-Cadillac bid has reached the final stage to enter F1 as the 11th team and still has a chance of being accepted.

And even if Andretti were to be accepted by the FIA, rights holder Liberty Media would still have to agree.

FIA Formula 2 outfits Hitech and Rodin Carlin had also submitted applications, along with start-up Asian effort LKYSUNZ who made a late entry.

Those three are expected to be rejected. However, the FIA ​​did not want to officially confirm this when asked on Friday.

Employees from existing Formula 1 teams then came forward and expressed their surprise. Because word is getting around in the paddock in Suzuka that the LKYSUNZ staff have been informed that the team has received a rejection from the FIA. Which is why LKYSUNZ employees are now applying to other Formula 1 teams.

In Friday’s F1 Team Representatives Press Conference in Singapore, 4 team bosses commented again on allowing the Andretti-Cadillac team into the series.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Alessandro Alunni Bravi (Alfa Romeo),  Guenther Steiner (Haas), Zak Brown (McLaren), and Toto Wolff (Mercedes) were asked their latest feelings on the FIA’s approval of the Andretti-Cadillac entry which could be less than a week away.

If that happens, the matter then goes to F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali as the commercial rights holder, who is expected to drag his feet for several months.

Under the terms of the current Concorde Agreement, any new entrant has to pay a $200m dilution fee and Andretti wants to start racing in 2025 to avoid paying a higher fee that will be in the new 2026 Concorde Agreement.

“I think why F1 and the teams have survived in the last years is because we all stuck together,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff when asked by Motorsport.com about the Andretti entry getting closer to becoming a reality.

“The FIA, FOM and the 10 teams, we need to protect the sport. We’re holding this sensitive sport that’s growing at the moment in our hands.

“And that’s why the right decisions need to be taken all of us together, when it comes to, let’s say, a mindset and then obviously the FIA and F1 when it comes to these decisions, because it’s out of the teams’ hands.

“But I would hope that [FIA president] Mohammed Ben Sulayem, and Stefano will take the right decisions for F1.”

McLaren‘s Zak Brown made it clear that he thinks that the compensation figures should be a matter for debate.

“I think our view’s unchanged,” said the American. “And we’re just going to kind of wait and see how the process plays out.

“I think the one thing I would say is the value of a F1 team and an entry from what it was five years ago. The sport is worth substantially more, so I think that that element needs to be discussed.”

Haas’s Guenther Steiner said he trusted F1 to make the correct calls.

“I’m sure Stefano knows how to deal with this in our best interest,” said the American, who was born in Italy and holds a dual citizenship, currently living in the USA.

“We put our faith in FOM to deal with it, and as Zak said, teams are worth now a lot more than we were when we were deciding the Concorde Agreement in 2020, where some teams were struggling to stay in business, and were worth basically nothing. The market has changed.”

“We think that any new team must bring an added value to the entire F1 community,” Alfa Romeo’s rep Alessandro Alunni Bravi said.

“And so it needs to be a solid project, not just for a five-year period, but it must be a really long-term project with a strong foundation, and of  course, any new entry needs to recognize the value and all the investments that have been done by the current teams.

“And as Zak and Toto mention, the worth of the current teams has grown significantly in the past few years. We need to protect our business, but we rely on the FIA and FOM to take the right decision.

“We will be ready to welcome any new teams that have this kind of characteristic. But we need first to also understand what is the best for the entire F1 community, with a long-term perspective.”

And if the FOM reject Andretti-Cadillac? Well, he has them by the balls.