Why do you think it's so hard
for Americans to enter one?
That's, that's really the best
question I've ever gotten on this.
I wish I could answer it.
You know, it's. And it's.
I I think that when you look at
the rules in the sense that the FAA
has in place for the championship,
but there's at this point agreed that there
could be ruled for 12 teams, you know,
which would mean 24 cars on the grid.
They have 10 good teams,
obviously, and.
The only way that I would reason
is that going forward with the
more races on the calendar,
which is it's it's quite the task.
There all the teams to you know
across continents and so forth and
that and to protect the grid you
know to some degree by having 11
or 12 cars you know on the grid I
think is a good insurance in itself
that's the only way I could see and
and as a company which would be the
liberty media for instance to have.
Ensure that you have a full grid.
You know it's good for the organizers,
of course,
and it's a big investment in the business.
You know, with another team.
So that's what we're ourselves,
that's what we're trying to
bring to the party here.
I don't see any negatives and that also
it's it's clear that we have a the biggest
auto manufacturer in the United States.
Ready to join what they're they're
already have committed publicly
that that there will be joining us.
All along we've been told by both
sides of the FBI and and the Liberty
media you bring it a manufacturer
and you will be accepted.
So that's where we are at the moment,
but still waiting for an
official green light,
that's.
Anyway I can answer that?
That kind of does.
Uh, jump ahead to one of the
questions I had, which is, um,
if you'll if hundred global gets
to successfully enter the grid,
would they be based in America
with General Motors like the
engineering team and all of that
or would they end up being in the
UK similar to how like all of the
F1 teams are engineering wise?
Well, I think this already has been
explained that that there there will be
a main operation in the United States to
be able to call it a true American team.
But for logistical reasons there
would be an operation in the UK
to be able to easily move around.
And also I think it to be able to to
arm yourself with the current talents
in Formula One which exist basically.
In the main hubs like you get NASCAR,
you wanna be in,
you know in North Carolina,
you want the IndyCar,
you want to be in Indiana
and the Formula One,
basically the UK is the biggest hub for that.
So you have to be realistic about that.
And then so yeah,
that's that's really the plan
that's in place and it makes sense.
I figured as such, but I mean,
as you know, hope springs eternal
for America to have it purely based
in the good old United States. Thank
you very much. Thank you
very much about that. Um,
but so you were famously quoted
saying that the only thing
missing an F1 is in American,
and now there is an American on the grid.
There's Logan Sargeant because
he gets to he's from Florida.
What do you envision for his career
as the only US driver on the grid
right now as a former US F1 driver?
Well I that's wonderful that's that's
embrace that there should be you know but
all of us it's just that that the I think
the comment that I make made was that.
What is not existing at the moment
is a full American team with
at least one American driver.
That's all. But you know,
the drivers obviously are the important part,
in my opinion, because I am one.
And, you know, to be able
to represent their country.
But, you know, since there's been
so much increased interest in
the United States in Formula One,
which is phenomenal,
it's a great thing for the sport.
Why not have the US officially
represented in both ways, you know,
team and driver and, you know,
always say that the Formula One is the
Olympics of Motorsports because it's so.
International, it's purely international.
And so there's, you know,
there's that sense of pride to to have
your country represented officially.
I know that how much, you know,
it's a feather in any drivers cap,
you know, to win their home Grand Prix.
You know, it's, you know,
I know how fortunate I got to throw this in.
Fortunately I've been in this
in the same year in 19 actually.
In 1977 I won the home Grand Prix
and also my native Grand Prix
and the same the same year.
And you know, we're looking back,
you know, can doesn't get any
better than that from a personal.
All of this plays if you will,
and that's why, again,
you know Michael and and his partners,
they're so eager to participate
and be a part of this,
the, you know the the this,
this world of Motorsports and.
And so I'm proud of that.
Obviously I'm trying to to help
everywhere I can, you know,
and and cheer them on.
Yeah, I think personally for me,
because I've been watching F1 since I was.
1110 or 11 I think my my goal has still
been to see an American team with a
full both drivers as the Americans.
So we're still holding out hope for that.
So I got I got really excited
when I started reading about
Andretti Globals bid to enter.
Umm. So with your experience in F1.
And just the racing world in general,
what is the economic impact of the sport now
compared to when you were racing in 1977?
Well, Sam, things involved,
you know that and then
it changed dramatically.
I remember that this some of the
disciplines you know like give you
for instance in the early 90s.
When did the car was supreme around
the world as a matter of fact they
were the envy of Formula One and
even from the standpoint of drivers
potential earnings and so forth and
that and all of a sudden you know
Bernie Ecclestone changed all that
you know but acquiring world TV rights
and all that sort of thing and and he,
he and you know he has really brought
so much to Formula One as you know
in that respect that that you know.
Right now they're the ones that they're the,
the, you know, the £900 gorilla in the,
you know, in the world of Motorsports
and that's a wonderful thing.
And so again, as far as the financial side,
the, you know right now, as I say,
because of the interest that we have seen,
you know,
grow and the attendance that you know,
some of these venues are
experiencing is unprecedented.
I mean it's it's helped tremendously.
Look at the attendance we've had at Coda
there in Austin the last couple of years.
You know just phenomenal and and you know the
first event in Miami and now look at Vegas,
you know they just open.
A month?
A couple of months ago.
You know the tickets for next year.
They're already sold out.
Is that awesome or what?
So let's feed this bubble.
You know, by feeding this bubble I mean
the US has really come to the task
and as a fan base and to have a full,
full-fledged U.S.
team, Formula One,
I hope they embrace that, I really do.
Yeah.
I mean, it's been fantastic to you first
of all because I am based in Austin.
It's been fantastic to have
the race track in my backyard.
And now seeing both. Vegas and Miami.
Maybe we'll even get a fourth
track eventually, who knows?
But the explosion of F1 and just
Motorsports in general in the US has been
fantastic to watch over the last decade.
Umm, but Speaking of Indy,
what do you think would help
Americans kind of not convert per se,
but kind of transition from being
solely fans of Indy and the NASCAR
realm and to come over to F1?
Because you had said earlier that
it was India used to be the envy of.
Well, let's put it this way.
I think as a national series
like IndyCar and NASCAR,
you know we're benefiting of that
you know in this country it's
the only country on the planet.
I think that they're from a
driver standpoint you could have
a totally satisfying career just
by staying here and and you know
each one has its own identity,
its own fanbase and whatever and.
And and Formula One is just in
another aspect you know it's just
a it's got the more of the you know
fully fully international flavor.
I think as I said earlier you
know somewhere in the early 90s
the you know IndyCar had several
international events which were really,
really popular and from that standpoint
I think it there was kind of.
Had the reach that you know it was
almost equal to Formula One but
Formula One is superseded that and
you know we can keep it that way.
I mean the US is very happy with
the the series that they have now
you know you have you know IMSA you
know which is obviously the sports
prototypes so you know alone this
is racing which is a it's strong
because this has a tremendous.
TV package and you have IndyCar
which has its own personality and
and tradition and then you have
NASCAR which is the same thing.
You know it's been around and
they have a solid fan base.
So yeah it's I think that the
whole thing is compartmentalized,
OK Now I don't think each side
obviously trying to do their very
best to continue to maintain and
increase interest you know but.
But the sport in general I'd like to
say is that a good our Motorsports
is that at a good place in the
world and and the US is probably
enjoying you know the largest piece
of the pie if you will because of
these other series that it has.
But it would be great to see that
you know especially on the IndyCar
side which is which from a you
know the the technical inability.
Of the driver standpoint parallels you
know the the open wheel cars are Formula One.
It would be nice to be more of an
open door between that and if some
American drivers you know will get
an opportunity and earn a position
in some of the Formula One teams.
I think that that probably would
be beneficial to both sides.
That's all I can say.
You know the US is a is a beautiful
great big country. That obviously.
You know, even on the commercial side.
You know the sponsors you know the
large companies are global anyway
you know so you know to have more the
American side participating I think
would probably lower some of these
companies to you know to to invest
you know and and more and in Formula One.
So overall I think I don't see
any negative it's all positives
you know if we do the job right if we
you know start just stop thinking just.
Of ourselves. But look at the big picture.
Yeah, I mean the US is, as you stated,
has the biggest footprint
when it comes to motorsport,
not just F1 but just in general.
And I think it would be really interesting
to see because I know there are some
like NASCAR purists and F1 purists.
And I think it'd be really
intriguing to see those two overlap,
especially if because I think
a way to streamline Americans
into F1 would be to allow how an
F2 you when you achieve enough.
Super license points you
can then enter into F1.
If they did the same for Indy 500,
I think it would make that transition much,
much easier and more accessible
to American drivers as a whole.
Well, it's very true.
Like I said, you just mentioned something
about the Super licenses and so forth.
And I think there's, you know,
some movement in a direction of why not,
which has been in the past,
be able to earn some points toward
a super license that from now
on the IndyCar Series from the
IndyCar Series because everything,
there's some similarity in the,
you know, technical skills.
For a driver you know on both sides.
So yeah and all of these things I think
would play well and the big pictures I
said and the other thing that I think is,
is clear and it's been the objective
of of Michael's team then to even
feel the formula two and and possibly
formula Three series to be able to
have the opportunity for some of
that you know easier opportunity.
Some of the American drivers maybe to just.
Be involved in that farm system.
You know over there to be better
prepared for Formula One so you know it.
You know Michael's team is is willing
to go in there with both feet.
You know that the full investment
you know and be serious and and
looking at the long term.
Yeah, I mean. I I've said it once
and I'll say it a million times,
I think if Andretti Global
is able to get into F1,
I think it would truly take up
the grid in a very interesting way
for both the sport as a whole,
but for America's footprint in general.
Um, it's kind of. Speaking of which,
there's been a lot of complaints so to speak,
from a lot of the F1 teams in the concept
of Andretti Globals entrance into F1.
And they stated a lot of the same criticism
is that each team will get less of a
share as there are more teams on the grid.
So by increasing the amount of drivers,
each team will receive less
at the end of the year.
As someone who has seen the
evolution of motorsport in general,
do you believe that money is the only
reason that the other teams might
be hesitant to allow a newcomer in?
Well, you know, there's so
many ways of looking at this,
but the fact that to be able
to enter the fee is, you know.
The astronomical is 200,000,000 to be,
you know, divided among all the other teams.
And when you look at the long term,
I mean again, I think every team,
they have to look at the big picture,
what that does.
I mean what you if you bring
something to the party that obviously
brings more interest potentially,
you know, even some sponsorship,
everybody ultimately benefits from that.
So in the long run, yeah,
there's no way that anybody would.
Financially suffer by having, you know,
another team and another manufacturer
involved and the opportunities that
that you know brings to the party.
So again, it's you know,
you can argue this thing until
the cows come home,
but that the reality is that you know.
It it's,
it's a positive side for the sport overall.
You got to look at that.
I mean ultimately, you know,
if you're in it for the long term
and everything else, this is gross.
There's nothing wrong with growth,
solid and pure investment.
There's no argument with that part.
No. And I think I think the scariest
part always when it comes to growth,
regardless of motorsport or otherwise,
is that growth is painful at start.
So any kind of change is one that can
typically be seen as negative on 1st blush.
Well, this could be negative or
positive. I choose to be positive.
Was there?
But so as you had mentioned as how you won
both the US and your home Grand Prix in 77,
what do you think is the perfect
storm for an American to do something
similar to what you did now in 2023,
with even more tracks on the grid?
Well, it's to have the national anthem played
at the end of the race on the top step.
Let's face it, I mean it's all about results.
You know, you can talk and talk and hope,
but you know, it's bring results
and and everything else that
you know will fall into place.
And that's the objective.
Everyone involved, no question.
And like I said,
we have a Logan sort now with that.
With the Williams team and we
wish him absolutely, sincerely,
all the very best, no question,
and I hope that he wishes us.
The very best, you know,
to be a competitor of his and
then maybe someday he could
even possibly drive for us.