F2 and F3 News: Andretti blocked from starting new F2 or F3 team

Blocked from starting a new team in F1, Michael Andretti now finds himself blocked from starting a new F2 or F3 team that he says is his goal to support his F1 effort.

Bruno Michel, who runs the two categories, sees no room to expand the current grids in either.

“For F3, I think it’s completely out of the question to increase the number of cars,” he told media. “Thirty cars is already a lot, and it’s a very good number.”

“The teams have to be able to find the drivers, which is not always an easy situation. For 30 drivers, even if all the categories under are pouring into Formula 3 – whether it’s Formula 4, Formula Regional – it’s still not an easy figure to arrive at.

“Then after that on the track, we know as well that at some point having too many cars is not very good for the racing, and also to have a consistent grid. So for Formula 3, there will not be additional cars.”

“We used to be 26 cars in GP2 [now called F2], and then we went down to 20 and then we went up to 22. I’m quite happy with the figures we have at the moment, for several reasons.

“Number one, same thing, it has to be viable for the teams and finding… 22 drivers with proper budgets is never an easy task. That’s the number one thing.

“Then also we need to look at how many seats will be available in Formula 1 as well and there shouldn’t be a point of having too many drivers in Formula 2 because at the end of the day some drivers won’t be to go up and it might be a little bit too difficult. So I would say that at the moment I’m not so inclined to increase the number of teams.”

“They [Andretti] can try to do a deal with an existing team, or they can apply, and if they apply there’s always a possibility that one team will not continue or one team will not have done the proper job and then in that case, they would have a chance to come in.”

“I read, a few things on Andretti saying exactly the same thing, that they want join F2 and F3, but we haven’t been in contact — yet. It will probably happen. I understood that Andretti was linked also with a possible program in to a Formula 1, which at the moment is still not decided.

“Now, if Andretti wants to join F2 and F3, they have to go through the same process as everybody else, because that’s the way it’s working. We have a selection process every three years in both categories.

“The one in F2 happened last year, at the end of 2023, so the next one will be in three years’ time. For F3 the selection process is going to be this year. So if they want to join, they of course have to go through the process.

“I don’t know how it works in their strategy, because they also discussing the F1 possibility at the same time. So for me it’s something that is in the air, it’s not really concrete at the moment.”