Toto Wolff has spoken publicly for the first time since Andretti’s partnership with General Motors was confirmed but remained skeptical about the bid.
Andretti joined forces with General Motors and their Cadillac brand earlier this month, announcing a co-venture in a bid to get their car on the Formula 1 grid.
It came after almost a year of back and forth between Andretti and F1 with the family of 1978 F1 World Champion Mario Andretti receiving a lukewarm reaction to their bid.
Michael Andretti, son of Mario and the one leading the venture, believed the General Motors partnership had ticked the final box that needed ticking but it would appear Wolff was not so sure.
“With Cadillac and GM, that’s a statement,” Wolff said, according to RacingNews365.com.
“Them joining forces with Andretti is definitely a positive, it gives it another angle that may or may not be beneficial for Formula One.
“Nobody would ever question GM’s or Cadillac’s pedigree in motorsport, and as a global auto company.”
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Even with General Motors backing, Toto Wolff again raises value argument against Andretti
With the holiday season now behind us, we are guessing Toto Wolff did not make it onto Michael Andretti’s Christmas card list for if the opposition to the Andretti bid could be personified by one man, it would be the Mercedes chief.
Wolff has been the strongest opponent to Andretti’s proposed entry, arguing that his, and the other nine teams, would suffer as a result with their profit margin being sliced up that little bit further.
While fans’ frustrations may be growing, the Mercedes boss has every right to look out for his team’s, rather than the sport’s, interest.
The Andretti bid is built on the idea that they will unlock the American market but with three US races this year and two teams unveiling their cars in New York City, there is an argument that ‘The American Dream’ has already been achieved.
Wolff’s consistent counter has been to question what value the Andretti bid will bring and Michael Andretti was confident that had been delivered with General Motors’ backing yet Wolff’s latest comments suggest he remains to be convinced.
The Andretti family is in the process of readying its application to the FIA’s new Expression of Interest protest but even if they do get the sport’s governing body on side, the hardest task is yet to come with a need to convince the Formula 1 owners and the teams that they are a worthy addition.
