F1 team principal offers unexpected support for Andretti bid

Andretti overlaid on the FIA flag — Photo: © LAT Images

F1 News & Gossip

F1 team principal offers unexpected support for Andretti bid

Zak Brown has tentatively endorsed the idea of adding an 11th team

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Monday 11 December 2023 08:27

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McLaren boss Zak Brown has offered rare support for the proposed '11th team' in Formula 1, but admitted that he is still unclear on the details of the Andretti-Cadillac bid.

The FIA have approved the potential team's bid, but 'FOM', or Formula One Management, must still give the go-ahead themselves after examining all possible commercial angles.

A number of existing teams have expressed their reservations over the prospect of adding another team to the series, warning that an extra team taking a portion of the sport's revenue could prove financially ruinous.

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Brown, however, told the Track Limits podcast that he believes most team principals don't actually know the specifics of the proposed deal - and that he'd be in favour of adding to the grid if it helped everyone.

Michael Andretti has been the face of the Andretti-Cadillac bid

Zak Brown has been outspoken on the F1 grid

Brown: I'd rather have 1/11th of a bigger pie

“The pro is they can help grow the pie. That pie can be fans, first and foremost; that can be television revenue; that could be increased exposure in a certain market that helps to bring in more sponsors; excitement on the racetrack.

“The downside is if the pie doesn’t get larger, and then you’re just divvying up the same-sized pie, and that’s where I think the majority of the the teams are.

“I think all of us are not that informed on what the actual proposal is, so everyone is running around with an opinion. I’ve not seen specifically what’s on the table.

“My view is as long as it’s additive to the sport – brings in more fans, brings in more revenue, brings in better television contracts, whatever that may be – if it makes the pie larger I’d rather have one 11th of a pie that’s 1,000 times than one tenth of one that’s 100 times."

McLaren FIA Zak Brown