Michael Andretti was “not smart” to call the existing Formula 1 teams “greedy” according to Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali.
Andretti criticised F1 teams for their lukewarm response to Andretti’s long-standing efforts to join the F1 grid – the latest of which is a partnership with General Motors brand Cadillac.
He said it was “all about greed and looking after themselves”, comments which followed sympathy from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem who said Andretti’s bid had received an “adverse reaction” with Andretti, in turn, praised Ben Sulayem as a proper ‘racer’, who “gets it”.
Ben Sulayem has since stepped back from direct F1 involvement in what the governing body claims was a pre-planned move.
Domenicali was asked by SkySportsF1’s Martin Brundle about Andretti-Cadillac’s bid and Mario and Michael Andretti’s criticism of what they believe was an unfairly negative reaction to its bid.
“We are very welcoming of everyone that is bringing value to the racing,” Domenicali told Brundle.
“I think we need to respect everyone. There are teams like Mario and Michael Andretti being very vocal about their will to enter Formula 1. But in my view [it is] not smart to say that teams are greedy.
“There are others that are much less vocal that would like to come into Formula 1, so there is a process to respect and we will make sure together with the FIA that the process will be respected.
“There are a lot of dimensions to consider and we don’t have to overreact because someone is pushing the system.
“The process will be done seriously in the right way someone is shouting and someone is not shouting.”
Andretti-Cadillac remains the only team to publically declare its interest in joining F1.
Interested teams have until February 17 to declare their interest and until April 30 to make a formal application.
This isn’t the first time Domenicali has suggested that Andretti’s vocal approach might not be the best way to go about joining the F1 grid.
“The evaluation is not only with Andretti, the evaluation is with others that are respecting the silence or trying to be more productive on approving who they are, and respecting the protocol we have put in place,” Domenicali said last August before Ben Sulayem’s official declaration that the FIA would start the process of accepting new F1 teams.
Domenicali expects to “stay in touch” with Ben Sulayem on F1 matters even with Ben Sulayem stepping back in the wake of a number of off-season controversies.
“With Mohammed Ben Sulayem coming in as a new president last year it was clear that, as normal when there is a new president, there is a manifesto he has to respect because that was his proposition in front of the members that voted him,” Domenicali explained. “Then there is a need and the time to adjust.
“There’s no secret to say that the key of success of our sport is to have everyone doing his job, in the right way for the benefit of the growth of the sport. We all have the interest to make sure the sport is growing.
“We are all united, if someone is not doing the right job there will be a problem.”
Domenicali also addressed the new-for-2023 rules on drivers making political statements.
The new rules outlaw “the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its statutes” and said such statements or comments will only be permitted if the competitor has previously had it “approved in writing” by the FIA or by the relevant national authority.
Domenicali insisted the changes are about ‘respect’ and reiterated what he said to the Guardian previously that the new rules wouldn’t ‘gag’ drivers from speaking out about issues they find important.
“We were the one with WeRaceAsOne to create discussion using our platform the right way,” he told Sky. “I do not believe [it is about] preventing the driver from communicating with the community – it is a matter of respect.
“What I don’t like, was when you want to say something to attack another one, that is wrong. But there is also respect for the partners you are working with. You need to be balanced.
“No one will put any barrier on that unless you’re going to be political, because we’re in a sport dimension, but to highlight the attention around certain subjects that are at the centre of discussion of today, that will be no problem in my opinion and I’m sure the FIA share that view.”
He expects the new rules to result in “no change” in what F1 and its drivers have already been doing.
Lead image – 3D model by Chris Paul Design @ChrisPaulDesig1 /Unkredible Studios @weareunkredible
