Michael Andretti says his team's bid to enter Formula 1 is nearing crunch time, with a final decision from the FIA on the matter likely just weeks away.
Andretti Global – the parent company of Andretti Autosport that pursuing an entry into Formula 1 - filed the necessary paperwork with the sport's governing body back in February of this year, and also ensured that it had the proper financing in place for the undertaking.
However, F1's top teams, and indeed Formula 1 itself, immediately pushed back on Andretti's ambitions to join the elite, arguing that an eleventh entrant on the grid would only dilute the sport's all-important prize money fund.
In the aftermath of the passing last October of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz, it was suggested that the energy drink company would perhaps be interested in selling its sister outfit AlphaTauri to Andretti, which would give the U.S. team a de facto entry.
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But Andretti dismissed such a scenario.
"No, they’re not interested", the IndyCar team owner said, quoted by The Indianapolis Star.
"But we’re working every day [to secure an entry into F1]. I’m still confident. We’re getting close.
"We haven’t gotten the ‘OK’ yet, but we’re getting really close.
"We’re hoping in the next couple weeks. That would sure be a nice Christmas present."
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Last summer, Andretti Global revealed its plan to invest $200 million in a brand new 575,000 square-foot headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, that will house the company's current and future racing programmes including – hopefully – Formula 1.
Last week, Michael Andretti and his legendary father Mario came together for the new HQ's groundbreaking event.
"This isn’t about IndyCar. With this, we want to do something that’s never been done before," Michael Andretti told IndyStar.
"We want to be in all forms of auto racing, from Le Mans to Monaco to the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500.
"And eventually in the future, we want it all to be under one roof. That’s our big goal, and we’ve got a lot of plans in the works to get there."
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