Gunther Steiner on the decision with Andretti Cadillac

Former Haas F1 chief Gunther Steiner commented on ESPN on Formula 1’s decision to deny Andretti Cadillac the right to participate in the championship…

Gunter Steiner: “I don’t have all the information, but I think they understood that Andretti Cadillac’s plans are too ambitious and therefore impossible to implement. Formula 1 protects the teams, everyone associated with this sport, but they have not completely closed the door. They said they may reconsider the decision in 2028. It’s not tomorrow, but the door is open. If the team proves they can prepare by then, I think they’ll be welcome.

There is no ideal number of teams in Formula 1. If you have 11 or 12 strong teams, that’s not bad, but they have to make money. And if this is not the case, some will not have enough money and will want to leave.

In Formula 1 there is no relegation to the minor leagues. This isn’t football. If you don’t put the effort and financial resources into football, you’re out. Once you’re in Formula 1, you do everything you can to stay, if not forever, then for a long time. And this is very difficult.

When we arrived, Formula 1 was different. And the teams were different. In 2016, many were not as fast as they are now, which put less pressure on newcomers. No matter who comes, it is very difficult to meet expectations.

Teamwork hasn’t gotten any easier, especially now that there’s a budget limit. It used to be that you could spend more money in the early years to achieve success, but now that is no longer possible. And the rookie will not have the experience that others have. So it’s very, very difficult.

I’m not saying it’s impossible for a new team to debut, but it takes a lot of preparation and convincing everyone that you’ll be as competitive as modern Formula 1 requires. You just can’t fail. FOM will not allow this to anyone. And when submitting an application, you must be 100% sure that the debut will be successful.”