Lack of F1 entry hasn’t stopped Andretti poaching staff from Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari
Despite not receiving final apꦑproval for an F1 entry, Andretti are pressing ahead with thei🎐r plans.
Andretti have already made hires from the likes of Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari despite not yet receiving the green light to join the F1 grid.
The US-based outfit’s bid🌸 to enter F1 with General Motors’ Cadillac brand was approved by motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, last October, but FOM has the casting vote and is yet to announce a decision.
Nevertheless, Andretti have been pressing ah൩ead with their plans.
Their F1 operation consists of 120 staff, including around 50 GM engineers, accordin💝g to who report Andretti are “already leaning heavily on GM’s technical support”.
Andretti’s F1 technical director Nick Chester revealed the American team have successfully poached personnel from🍃 some of♏ the biggest teams in the sport.
“I was pleasantly surprised, in a way, how easy it was to draw people to the project,” Chester told The Athletic. “There’s a real draw of a new team, the Andretti name. A blank sheet tends to have a 𝔍very🀅 proactive culture.
“We’ve had people joining from Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren. They all wanted a new challenge. It’s that real potential to shape departments, which is very attractive.🔜”
According to The Athletic’s report, Andretti are planning to build a full-size F1 chassis in mid-2024 to be used ൲as a prototype modeওl for early homologation testing.
🎉“It takes time to buil꧋d competitive race cars,” Michael Andretti, Andretti Global’s CEO and chairman, told The Athletic.
“I’m very happy that we have made so mu꧂ch progress already on long-lead activities such as aerodynamic design and simulation. We don’t underestimate the task.”
Despite reported oppositi♏on from F1 and some of its teams, Andretti is confident his side’s entry ꧙bid will get rubber-stamped.
“As Mohammed [Ben Sulayem, FIA president] has 🧸said a numb🌳er of times, the benefits we will bring to the sport and the championship are so obvious,” Andretti added.
“I can’t imagine anyone would want to try to stop us, and♛ deprive racing fans of the opportunity to see a genuine American works team going head-to-head with the legendary names currently competing in F1.”
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