Exclusive interview with Mario Andretti: “F1 kinda like a Christmas gift”

The Cadillac and GM project has been given the green light last week and F1 will have 11 teams for the first time since 2016. A huge news for the Circus and for the Andretti family, who have been working for more than 3 years to get into Formula 1 with a team. They did it with Cadillac and GM as main partners. We sat down with F1 legend and World Champion Mario Andretti who gave us some insights on F1’s new team, its current situation and what are the main decisions that needs to be taken in the next year. Here you can read the full interview in Italian.

Obviously the provisional green light on Cadillac’s entry from 2026 is a huge news for F1 and yourself: what does this non-executive role in this project mean to you personally?
This was the target for us, we’d been talking about it for the last three years and finally everything is in place, and everyone is on the same page. It’s kinda like a Christmas gift. Now we move forward, there’s a lot to do from here on but the internal situation is clear and that is the most important.

Do you have any insights or behind-the-scenes as to how Cadillac approached you when they specifically offer you this position? How did Michael react to this news but, most of all, how did you react to Michael’s decision to step down from his role at Andretti Global?
My non-executive role was planned from the beginning, even if Michael had stayed with the team. That is because I’m interested, and I want to be a part of that. F1 is a huge part of my life, I enjoy being in this position, I can give my input and be a part of the team and that’s all that matters. Speaking about Michael, he took this decision, we can discuss about it but the only thing that matter is that he’s excited about the current situation, his wish has come true, He'll always be here, he won’t disappear completely.

When did you realize that the application was going to be accepted by the FIA and Liberty Media?
I was the one who got the official confirmation before the Las Vegas Grand Prix, on Thursday afternoon (November 21st, ndr). There was a meeting where everything fell into place.

Can you explain me how Andretti Global is helping or will help Cadillac running the team? Is Cadillac going to oversee the project of the car or is this something Andretti Global will do?
The team [meaning TWG Global] will oversee the managerial side; Cadillac will be able to give their suggestions and inputs, but their role will be focused more on the technical side, such as the power unit. There’s a lot to do, but I know that work has already started. We’re not starting from scratch. The management of the team is more or less the same as before, nothing has changed. Cadillac will be the official team entrant.

In terms of car development, how are things at the moment on this side? 
I can’t say much, but things has already started. We’ve already been in the wind tunnel in Germany (in Toyota’s wind tunnel). We’ve started working [on the car] when things were not official yet, hoping that it could go well. We couldn’t lose time waiting so we kept on working. In terms of technical strength, the team is already at 70%.

In terms of team personnel, how difficult is to fill all the positions in the technical structure? 
This is something that keeps going on, things are always changing, and teams are always looking for skilled and specialized people. It’s nice to see the applications we receive from people with a lot of experience who would like to be a part of this project. We are happy about that and we’re in a good position to move forward.

Switching to power units, I remember that – when the first rumours came out – Renault was the main option as your engine supplier. Has the Renault decision to step down as engine manufacturer changed your plans? How were the discussions with the French brand going on, if there were any? 
There were discussions, everyone knew that. Their decision was not in our hands, they’ve decided to end being an engine manufacturer so it’s a closed chapter, but there are other possibilities.

Mercedes will supply 4 teams, Honda will exclusively supply Aston Martin as stated in their agreement, Audi and Ford will debut in 2026. Having lost Renault, it seems that Ferrari is the obvious choice for you. Is a 2-year partnership with the Scuderia the most likely scenario in your opinion? You also drove for them in the ‘70s, so that might also be something emotional for you.
That would be perfect. You know what Ferrari is to me, it means beautiful times; what I’ve done with the Scuderia, my relationship with the Commendatore, what he allowed me to do. He trusted me when he lost both his drivers in 1982, he thought of me to replace them in the last two races that year. I had my experiences, I won with sports cars, I’ve won my first F1 race in South Africa with Ferrari [in 1971]. If Ferrari was the candidate, it would be beautiful for me, my heart is always with Ferrari.

This will also create a duel with compatriot Haas: how important is to see 2 teams from United States for the growth of Formula 1? Has Gene Haas texted you following the announcement?
We haven’t talk with them, we think about ourselves, they think about theirselves. I think that it’s super important for the US [to have 2 American teams on the grid], we’re the only country with 3 GPs on the calendar, we’ve seen lately that fans here in the US love F1 and it’s lovely. I’ve never seen so much interest in F1 here in America because we have IndyCar, we have Nascar. It’s good to see, but you know that my first love is F1 and this’ll never change. 

Drivers are another piece of the puzzle. I’ve read recent interviews where you say that Colton Herta is an option but he doesn’t have enough SuperLicence points. Last year, when we spoke, you told me that if you had a Formula 1 team Alex Palou would be a driver you’d love to have as he is special. Will one of the two drivers be a current IndyCar star? What are your current ideas on this?
That is the intention, we’d like to start with a driver from – let’s say – America. Palou is not from the US but he races here and he won the IndyCar Series. What we’d like would be an American by passport in an American team. The second driver could be anyone, the desire is to have an experienced driver. We need to decide, but there is time to do it.

The perfect driver for Cadillac: which qualities should he have in your opinion? 
The same as any team looks for, you try to have the best, a capable driver who can give his all for the team. But this is something that doesn’t only apply to Cadillac.

Have you given yourself a deadline to sort it out?
No, things can change so we need to keep ourselves free. We have the privilege to have time to make these last decisions. 

In previous reports and rumours, it has been said that the ambition was to form a team to compete also in F2 and F3. Is this still something you’re targeting for the future? Is a Cadillac/GM Academy a project you have in mind for the long term?
This is something we’ll have to sort out over time, but it is true, we’d like to work with young drivers. We’ve always done that here in America, in IndyCar [in the IndyNXT], it is a possibility. 

What will the main target be for 2026?
The main target is one anyone could have. We’d love to get to a point where we can be happy. You always do your best to be happy and proud. 

Mattia Fundarò