“Never Say Never”: American Giants Andretti’s Imminent Arrival Reignites Hopes for the Miracle Man of F1

The prospect of having another all-American team on the Formula 1 grid in the near future is an exciting idea. But the arrival of a new team means two more slots open up in the driver market. Irrespective of Andretti’s fate in the sport, what F1 fans are most excited about is the possible driver pairing the General Motors-backed venture can field. A lot of permutations and combinations work here. Two rookies, an existing driver and a rookie, or a driver trying to find his feet back into the sport? The calculations and predictions can be endless!

That being said, as Lewis Hamilton said during Sebastian Vettel’s swansong in Abu Dhabi, the sport has a way of sucking people back into it. And a man who made a miraculous escape in what would turn out to be his last F1 race may be pulled back into the clutches of F1 and its charms. Racing for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar series, Frenchman Romain Grosjean might just be on his way back into the Formula 1 paddock.

While talking to The Race, Grosjean was asked about his inclinations about following Andretti’s footsteps into the sport, given his affinity to them, even if it was as a mere advisor. He said, “Yeah, absolutely, I think in Formula 1 one thing I learned was never say never. So yeah, I think it’s great news for Andretti to have GM as a partner.” [translated via Google]

“They’re working really hard to achieve the goal of being in F1, so I really hope that happens. They’re definitely trying to make that happen. So that’s good. They have the financial backing, they have the builder. It’s interesting to see how the team grows and builds.” 

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In the past, Grosjean has alluded to the fact that only a top 3 team calling him out would lure him back. However, given the situation developing at Andretti, maybe Grosjean has already had a change of heart.

Andretti is probably already a step ahead of its rivals

A Formula 1 car isn’t just about the chassis or the engine alone. Granted, aero and mechanical grip dominate the lap times, but having a superior engine propelling you isn’t a bad deal to begin with. And as things seem, Andretti may have already bagged a massive advantage over its possible rivals.

Andretti races in IndyCar with Honda. Hence, the relationship between the two does already exist. Further, after Honda’s departure from the Red Bull program, they’ve shown interest in entering the sport once again under the garb of the new 2026 engine regulations. However, this time without the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, as per The Race.

Further, it’s no secret that the best engine on the grid right now is the Red Bull Powertrain (which essentially is a rebranded Honda engine). Thus, Andretti’s collaboration with Honda as an engine supplier doesn’t only look likely, but also very promising for the American team. Michael Andretti himself spilled the beans on the engine manufacturer issue, well, somewhat.

As per Motorsport.com, he said, “It’ll be more of a collaboration, I think, with another manufacturer. We have a signed agreement with a power unit supplier to begin with and then, as we move forward, we bring a lot of our expertise to create things for the future as well.”

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If Andretti does make an entry into F1, how do you think they’ll stack up against the current grid in the short term?