FILE – Michael Andretti participates in a news conference for the IndyCar Grand Prix of Long Beach auto race, Saturday, April 15, 2023, in Long Beach, Calif. (AP Photo/Jenna Fryer, File)
Liberty Media, owner of the Formula One Group, confirmed that it is under investigation by the Department of Justice for denying Andretti Global entry into the Formula One World Championship.
“We intend to cooperate fully with this investigation, including all related requests for information,” Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said during a conference call Thursday.
Formula 1’s rejection in January came after a six-month review of Andretti’s application. The reasons for the rejection were taken personally by Mario and Michael Andretti, as well as by General Motors, which plans to partner with Andretti in Formula 1 under its Cadillac brand. The offer would expand the current 10-team grid to make room for a two-car American team.
Maffei said on Thursday that the company was open to new applicants and could be admitted under certain conditions.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Formula One’s claims in connection with the rejection included that it did not believe Andretti would be a competitive team; that the Andretti name did not add the value to the series that Michael Andretti expected it to; and that it would be an unprecedented challenge for Andretti to compete for the next two years.
Mario Andretti said in April he was deeply offended by the language used by Formula 1 management to reject his bid to join the global motorsport series. The 1978 Formula 1 world champion posted on social media that he was “devastated”.
In May, six U.S. senators asked the Justice Department to review the denial, saying there were concerns that Formula One was acting on behalf of individual teams and other “important stakeholders,” including foreign automakers, and that this could violate antitrust laws.
