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Amid Andretti-Cadillac Row, Resurfaced $200 Million Statement From F1 Boss Deserves a Quick Revisit

Published 01/14/2023, 3:02 AM EST

Change is difficult, and the same has been true for Formula 1, its teams, and the grid expansion. Since the news of Andretti-Cadillac joining the grid as partners in the coming years broke, there have been murmurs throughout the paddock. And while the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has expressed his excitement over the entry of the American companies, F1 and the existing teams seem to be unwelcoming, except for “McLaren and Alpine.”

For the life of me, I still cannot understand why F1 teams are not "all in" on an Andretti-Cadillac entry.
In 2020, regarding the new $200m entry fee, Zak Brown was quoted as saying:#F1 pic.twitter.com/uheRhGgjpw
— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) January 12, 2023

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The resurfaced tweet by Zak Brown in 2020 talks about the dilution of prize money and how it acted as a fund for intent. And while F1 now has a $200 million anti-dilution fund, it seems to not be enough for the existing teams as the impact of the 11th team is said to be bigger than that. Thus, this statement serves as a testimony to McLaren’s backing, as the American team is said to be ready with a dilution fee of $200 million.

Michael Andretti Makes F1 Christmas Wish With Bold $200 Million “Bigger Than Ferrari” Promise in Return

With a possible 2025 entry with a Renault engine making the news, Andretti also clarified that Cadillac’s partnership would be much more than just its namesake. And both parties claim to remain committed to the project as they seek support from the FIA.

Andretti hits out at the teams’ cold reaction

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The recent announcement isn’t believed to have been welcomed on the grid. Even the FIA president expressed his shock at the “lukewarm” response to it. But when the news initially made the rounds, things certainly didn’t look smooth for Andretti, as Red Bull, Mercedes, and others expressed their concerns.

Andretti responded to those remarks at the time, and he continued to do so. As per GrandPrix247, he said, “It’s all about money. First, they think they are going to get diluted one-tenth of their prize money, but they also get very greedy, thinking we will take all the American sponsors as well. It’s all about greed and looking at themselves and not looking at what is best for the overall growth of the series.”

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Watch This Story: American Drivers to Win an F1 race

Earlier, the teams wanted to push the anti-dilution fund to nearly $600 million from the existing $200 million, just as the FIA was ready to welcome new teams. Now, it’ll be exciting to see how the new entry pans out for the American side with forces coming in from all angles. Will they join if the fund increases? Will it be able to convince the teams of the existing terms? Let us know what you think.

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Written by:

Manan Goel is a Formula 1 author at EssentiallySports. As a literature student at Delhi University, he had been a geek for fiction and a nerd for sports. He claims Sebastian Vettel was his first love after seeing him at the Indian Grand Prix, and he has been a fan of the sport and Red Bull ever since.

Edited by:

Varunkumaar Chelladurai

Amid Andretti-Cadillac Row, Resurfaced $200 Million Statement From F1 Boss Deserves a Quick Revisit

Andretti hits out at the teams’ cold reaction

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