Todd Young, Mike Braun ask DOJ to investigate Andretti Global Formula 1 rejection
Indiana’s two U.S. Senators joined a bipartisan group of fellow lawmakers asking the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate why Andretti Global was excluded from the Formula 1 championship racing series.
The Tuesday letter, signed by U.S. Sens. Todd Young and Mike Braun, alleges that Formula 1’s refusal to allow Team Andretti-Cadillac, backed by General Motors, to join the F1 series could violate U.S. antitrust laws. The letter was also signed by Republican and Democratic U.S. senators from Utah, Minnesota, Michigan and California.
Formula 1 rejected Andretti Global’s bid earlier this year after its sanctioning body found Andretti Global met the requirements to join last fall. Formula 1's explanation for Andretti's exclusion included that the team's proposal would not reach F1's competitive standards and would provide little value to the sport and its stakeholders.
The letter from the senators alleges that F1 competitions are dominated by European teams that may not want an American team in the series.
“[W]e have serious concerns that the rejection of Team Andretti-Cadillac was based on a desire to exclude a rival from the racetrack, marketing opportunities, and prestige that competing in F1 can lend to a car manufacturer competing to sell cars across the globe,” the letter states.
Andretti rejected: Formula 1 rejects Andretti Global's bid to join in '25 or '26, leaves door open for future
The letter from the senators requesting an investigation comes just weeks after racing legend Mario Andretti, the father of Andretti Global co-owner Michael Andretti, met with federal lawmakers, including Indiana representatives, in Washington D.C.
Several members of Congress, including Ohio Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent letters earlier this month seeking information about the Andretti exclusion to Greg Maffei, president and CEO of Liberty Media Corporation, of which Formula 1 is a subsidiary.
IndyStar reporter Nathan Brown contributed to this story.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Todd Young, Mike Braun seek investigation of F1 Andretti Global snub
