Christian Horner Gives Andretti Path to F1 - Wheel Sports
Christian Horner Andretti

Christian Horner Gives Andretti Path to F1

As Andretti Autosport continues to strive towards entering Formula 1, a prominent figure in the racing world has offered advice on the best path forward. Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, believes Andretti should follow in the footsteps of Red Bull and Mercedes by acquiring an existing F1 team.

Despite Andretti’s reputation in the US racing scene, the reception to their potential entry into Formula 1 has been less than warm, with 1978 F1 World Champion Mario Andretti calling the pushback “disrespectful.” However, Andretti has announced a partnership with Cadillac for a renewed push into the sport, and with the FIA opening up the possibility for new teams to enter, Andretti can now formally apply to begin the process.

GET ONE MONTH FREE AND LEARN HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE HERE

Horner spoke to the UK’s Daily Mail, saying that a look at the lineage of most teams in Formula 1 shows that buying out and investing in an existing team has been the way forward. He explained, “Red Bull Racing was Jaguar, which was Stewart Ford. You look at Mercedes, that goes all the way back through Honda to British American Racing to Tyrell. Aston Martin go back to being a Jordan team. That has been the procedure for many years.”

While Andretti has the finances to enter Formula 1, Horner suggests that they consider cozying up to an existing team to try a buy-out. He further stated, “Andretti is a great team, Mario Andretti is a name synonymous with Formula 1… Cadillac, GM, is one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world. So it would be great to see them in the sport, but it’s just got to be done properly.”

Speaking to Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport, Horner added that if the existing 10 teams are asked to pay for the new entrant’s $200 million entry fee, it will likely become a problem. He concluded, “So long as fiscally it doesn’t harm the existing teams, I can’t see anybody being against [the entry of two new teams in 2026].”