Rumor: Andretti Global to team up with Dallara and Honda? (2nd Update)
Further to our point that there is no way Andretti Global can design and build an F1 car themselves and be on the grid by 2024, let’s look at what the Aston Martin team is doing with their new factory and when the facility will produce its first car.
This is why we feel Andretti Global will engage Dallara to design and construct their chassis. Dallara also has the wind tunnel Andretti Global will need.
Aston Martin technical chief Dan Fallows says the team are aiming for the 2025 car to be the first fully designed in their new Formula 1 factory.
Construction started in 2022 and they are aiming for the 2025 car – three years.
“I think the target for the wind tunnel is to be online in the middle of 2024,” Fallows told media, including RacingNews365.com, during a recent tour of the facilities.
“We are hoping that that will have at least some contribution for the 2025 car and, depending on how the commissioning of that goes, that will probably be the first car to have a significant impact.
“In terms of the factory itself, that’s obviously coming online [in 2023] in various stages, so obviously the cars will feel the benefit of that as well.”
Dallara’s Capabilities and History in F1
December 13, 2022
It has been established that Andretti Global could possibly be teaming up with Honda for an F1 engine supply starting in 2026 (see below).
However, the Andrettis keep on insisting that their goal is to be on the F1 grid in 2024.
Now call us naive, but they currently do not have a facility to design and build an F1 car, nor do they have a wind tunnel – all in Europe because they are not going to find the talent needed to design and build a competitive F1 car in the USA.
Sure they can do some of the work in the USA, but the bulk of the F1 Operation will have to be in Europe.
Mario Andretti was quoted as saying, “Michael’s whole plan is to expand all operations, expand even the facility in Indianapolis where we’re going to have much more capability to be able to manufacture aspects of it, not relying on other vendors. But the base operation, engineering, everything is going to be out of the UK. That’s solid, that’s the way it’s going to be. We don’t need to confuse all that. A lot of people said, ‘You’re a dreamer to operate out of the U.S.’ No, that’s not the intent. We’re not stupid about these things.”
OK, so how do they have a car designed and built and on the grid in 2024 and who will be the lead designer?
Putting 2+2 together to get 4, unless they are buying an existing team like AlphaTauri we suspect Andretti Global will have to do a deal with Italian Race Car manufacturer Dallara, who designs race cars for many series including IndyCar, F2, F3, Superformula, ELMS, etc.
They have everything needed to design and build an F1 car, and they have a secret weapon that could see Andretti Global competitive from Day 1.
The Dallara Secret Weapon
That secret weapon is none other than Aldo Costa who designed all of Michael Schumacher’s and Lewis Hamilton’s championship winning F1 cars.
Costa left Mercedes in 2020 to be closer to his family in Italy. In January 2020 he joined Dallara as chief technical officer in Italy.
At Mercedes Costa led the design of the 2013 Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 W04 car under technical director Bob Bell. In 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 he was the designer/engineering director for the world championship winning Mercedes F1 W05 Hybrid, Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid, Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid, Mercedes AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+ and Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+ cars.
Aldo Costa and Adrian Newey are the two top F1 designers in modern F1 history. If one of them are not leading your design team, you are not going to win an F1 title.
Is 61-year old Costa secretly working on the design of a car for the Andretti team? Someone must be if they are to be on the grid by 2014.
F1 teams do make their own cars. They assemble everything, but the percentage of outsourced components differs between teams. Some make everything in-house, while others do the complete opposite by outsourcing as much as possible.
Formula 1 teams all make the bodywork for their cars. However, the in-house manufacturing ends there for some teams, as they outsource everything from their chassis to the engine. It all depends on the team, as each team has its own setups.
Certain parts are the same on all the cars, and the FIA and its technical partners provide these. These include the onboard cameras, the rear light, the accident data recorder, tires, and fuel flow meters and now even more with the new cars.
Example – What Parts Do the Haas Team Make?
| Part Type | Manufacturer |
| Power Unit | Ferrari |
| Chassis | Was Dallara, moving in-house in Maranello |
| Gear Box | Ferrari |
| Hydraulic Components | Ferrari |
| Body Work | Haas |
| Tires | Pirelli |
Haas’s policy of outsourcing as many things as possible has allowed them to build an F1 car without spending nearly as much money as their rivals. However, this has given them a lot less control over their cars and has meant they have to rely on other companies/F1 teams to provide them with parts. They have a very close relationship with Ferrari, as Ferrari provides them with many parts. Haas even has a satellite office staffed by many Ferrari employees in Maranello, Italy, where Ferrari is based. Some Dallara staff have also moved there.
Until this year, Dallara still builds the Haas Chassis, but its involvement in other technical aspects has been reduced as Ferrari’s has been scaled up.
The Haas design group is headed up by former Ferrari chief designer Simone Resta, who is seconded from Ferrari. Haas’s aero chief remains Ben Agathangelou and Rob Taylor is still chief designer, with Resta in charge of his own new group of ex-Ferrari engineers.
“This has been the first year in the Haas team’s history with a proper design office,” says Resta. “Because before everything was really dealt directly by the Dallara engineers.
With Haas now moving to go it alone, joined with Ferrari at the hip, it is quite possible that Dallara will do the Andretti Global chassis, with the design led by Aldo Costa.
Now this is pure speculation, but here is how we can see the Andretti car done in 2024 and 2025 before Honda would step in to do the engine. Teaming with Dallara would give Andretti Global two years to get their own facility built and staffed in Europe.
Alternatively, Andretti Global could just buy into the Dallara business. Dallara was founded and is owned by Gian Paolo Dallara, who is now 86 years old. He is likely looking for a succession plan and that is where Andretti Global could come in, buying Dallara or a percent of it, and continuing its race car business.
What Parts of the car would Andretti Global Make to start?
| Part Type | Manufacturer |
| Power Unit | Renault in 2024 and 2025 Honda in 2026 onward |
| Chassis | Dallara with design led by Aldo Costa |
| Gear Box | Renault in 2024 and 2025 Andretti Global in 2026 onward |
| Hydraulic Components | Renault in 2024 and 2025 Andretti Global in 2026 onward |
| Body Work | Andretti Global |
| Tires | Pirelli |
Aldo Costa’s F1 Record
| No. | Seasons | Constructors’ Champion | Drivers’ Champion | Cars |
| 1 | 1999 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | N/A | F399 |
| 2 | 2000 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | F1-2000 |
| 3 | 2001 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | F2001 |
| 4 | 2002 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | F2002 |
| 5 | 2003 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | F2003-GA |
| 6 | 2004 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Michael Schumacher | F2004 |
| 7 | 2007 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | Kimi Raikkonen | F2007 |
| 8 | 2008 FIA F1 Season | Ferrari | N/A | F2008 |
| 9 | 2014 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | F1 W05 Hybrid |
| 10 | 2015 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | F1 W06 Hybrid |
| 11 | 2016 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Nico Rosberg | F1 W07 Hybrid |
| 12 | 2017 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | F1 W08 EQ Power+ |
| 13 | 2018 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | F1 W09 EQ Power+ |
| 14 | 2019 FIA F1 Season | Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton | F1 W10 EQ Power+ |
Mark C. reporting for AutoRacing1.com
December 13, 2022
(GMM) Honda has signalled its intention to return to Formula 1 in earnest for the new engine regulations from 2026.
The Japanese carmaker, having withdrawn as Red Bull’s works partner after Max Verstappen’s 2021 title win, remained with the team with technical support and ‘Honda Racing Corporation’ branding this year.
Towards the end of the season, the Honda logos remained in earnest – particularly after Red Bull’s 2026 talks with Porsche came to nought.
And now, Auto Motor und Sport says Honda has now officially signed up as a works engine manufacturer for the new regulations beginning in 2026.
“But the Japanese no longer want to ally themselves with Red Bull,” reported correspondents Michael Schmidt and Andreas Haupt.
“Honda is looking for a new team, although an official comeback has not yet been announced. But they already have their foot in the door.” [Andretti Global needs to bring an engine manufacturer with them to gain entry into F1. Andretti has a long history with Honda in IndyCar and IMSA. Bringing back Honda to F1 would be Andretti’s ticket to gaining approval for his team in F1. But he may need Renault engines in the interim until 2026.]
Red Bull is determined to basically go it alone from 2026 with its own ‘Red Bull Powertrains’ division – although it could team up with a mainly financial and marketing partnership with Ford or even Hyundai. [Red Bull is also rumored to have attracted interest from other parties, such as Ford and Hyundai, and could try to leverage the same deal it offered Porsche – a marketing deal that badges the engine, in return for a significant fee, but little or no actual technical input.]
“The F1 regulations that will arrive from 2026 go in the direction of carbon neutrality,” Koji Watanabe, president of Honda Racing Corporation, is quoted by France’s Auto Hebdo.
“Also, the fact that electrification is promoted, and that carbon neutrality as well as the electrification of the Honda brand is on the table as well, that fits perfectly,” he added.
“As a motorsport company, we registered as an engine manufacturer to continue to do our research.”
—
Shinji Aoyama, Honda’s senior managing executive officer, said at the company’s ‘motorsports activity plan’ presentation on Monday that the “realization of carbon neutrality” is a “crucial mission” for Honda to pursue in motorsport. That is also F1’s goal.
“Honda has already been conducting research and development of technologies for carbon neutrality while proactively leveraging the field of motorsports,” he said.
“From now onward, we will further enhance our initiatives to put such technologies into practical use in our racing activities.”
“To fulfill the expectations of motorsports fans and Honda fans and customers all around the world and deliver more dream-inspiring and exciting experiences for people, we will continue putting our energy and effort in motorsports activities and keep taking on challenges,” said Aoyama, in Honda’s presentation of its motorsport activity for 2023.
It looks increasingly likely that F1 will be officially part of that portfolio once again by 2026.
With Porsche rumored to be buying into the Williams team, Alpha Tauri cemented in as Red Bull’s ‘B’ team, Haas tied at the hip to Ferrari, and Audi going with Sauber, there are not many other options for Honda except the Andretti team.