Senators Call for Investigation into Formula 1
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and other Senators are calling on DOJ and FTC to investigate Formula 1 for potential antitrust violations for their rejection of Andretti/Cadillac from joining the Formula 1 grid. Despite having its application previously accepted by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) - the regulatory body governing Formula 1 - Andretti/Cadillac is being prevented from participating by the commercial rights owner of the racing league, Liberty Media.
FIA is the governing body of F1 that sets the rules and regulations. On top of this they determine whether a team is capable of competing in F1, which they did with Andretti/Cadillac. Despite this, Liberty media rejected Andretti Global stating, "We do not believe that the Applicant would be a competitive participant…our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.”
Liberty Media Corporation, which also owns a significant stake in Ticketmaster, bought ownership of F1 in 2017. Liberty Media promoted the American fanbase into supporting F1 and grew the sport in America. Why would an American company not want more Americans racing for them? Now that is the question fans are asking.
Andretti is a storied brand in motor racing. Besides the racing prowess of both Mario and Michael Andretti, Andretti Global has over 200 total race wins, four IndyCar Series championships, four Indy Lights titles, one Indy Pro 2000, one USF2000 championship, a Silver Class GT4 championship, and has won five times at the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Similarly, GM/Cadillac is another iconic American brand in motoracing. The car manufacturer has competed in motor sport since before World War II having competed in NASCAR, American le Mans, and FIA’s World Endurance Championship to name a few. These factors alone are impressive enough to qualify Andretti/Cadillac as a team worthy of the grid.
Does F1 not want better competition or is it something else causing F1 to terminate Andretti Global’s bid? F1 is the pinnacle of competition in motor racing and Andretti Global has proven they have what it takes to compete on the grid. Sports Fans Coalition joins Senators Padilla, Klobuchar, Lee, in calling for the DOJ to investigate this anti-competitive and, frankly, unsportsmanlike conduct.