Republican Congressman John James from Michigan, an area closely linked with General Motors, joined Mario Andretti, the 1978 Formula 1 world champion, at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Formula One Management, owned by Liberty, said no to Andretti’s offer because they believed adding an 11th team wouldn’t add value to the championship and could strain current race organizers financially.
James and 11 other Congress members wrote a letter asking for explanations and questioning if this decision went against US laws by limiting market competition. James said, “I’ll let you figure out if this is cartel-type behavior; if this is anti-competition, monopolistic-type behavior.”
He also mentioned concerns about FOM leaving the door open for Andretti to join later, potentially for a bigger payout due to F1’s commercial growth. James raised questions like, “Is this a money grab?” and highlighted Andretti’s commitment to investing millions of dollars monthly to meet F1 standards.
He emphasized the need to protect American interests and businesses. James discussed the issue with US House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan, suggesting further scrutiny might be needed. Andretti expressed readiness to enter F1, having met all requirements and received approval from the FIA.
F1, when contacted, referred to its previous statement on Andretti’s bid rejection.
