Michael Andretti has confirmed the Renault rumors are “not true” and has revealed the future plans for the Andretti-Cadillac partnership if they are successful in their goal of getting on the F1 line-up.
During a recent interview with Forbes, the American CEO shot down the recent rumors that Renault would provide the engine for the team if they joined the sport. Speculation started about this when Alpine supported the partnership in their venture. Andretti explained:
“It’s a rumor – it’s not true – Cadillac will be very much involved in the manufacturing of the car.”
Andretti went on to explain that if they do make it onto the grid then Cadillac will be heavily involved with the engine and they will not have a “badged engine”. Although Andretti is hoping for an entry into the sport in 2025, the general consensus is that it is more likely to be 2026, which is when Audi is joining with Sauber. He continued:
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“If we get in, in 2025, there won’t be a new engine yet, so we would have to go with a formula that is used now, but in 2026 there are various things we can do with another engine manufacturer. It would not be a badged engine, because there would be intellectual property from Cadillac in that engine, so that is not a badged engine.”
The interest is going through the motions with the FIA and F1 and although the move has been backed by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, nothing has been confirmed yet.
Andretti Autosport has also had support from McLaren CEO Zak Brown, who the American CEO helped with his entry into IndyCar. Andretti explained Brown is willing to do the same in return with his hopeful entry into Formula 1. He said:
“Zak has been a great friend and ally. He gives me advice and is there to help. We help each other. I’ve been helping him a lot when he came to IndyCar racing. It’s a friendship that works both ways.”
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