Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Kepler]

So it sounds like there will be a new F1 team with eventual GM engines- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDXfQLEbDcI

Based off the Andretti entry, but without any Andretti involved.

Will they slap "GM" on the side of the car? That would actually make we root for them for patriotic reasons. Which for me would be... weird behavior.

I'd kill for the team to be named Chevrolet.

[MichVandal]

Will they slap "GM" on the side of the car? That would actually make we root for them for patriotic reasons. Which for me would be... weird behavior.

I'd kill for the team to be named Chevrolet.

No idea. It sounds like F1 wanted more real commitment from GM to actually make engines, but will they call it Cadillac or something else? Hard to say.

And they very much seemed to want Andretti out of it completely.

[Russell Jaslow]

No idea. It sounds like F1 wanted more real commitment from GM to actually make engines, but will they call it Cadillac or something else? Hard to say.

And they very much seemed to want Andretti out of it completely.

Everything I've read still says GM wants to market Cadillac through this effort.

The thing is, I think Andretti Global is still going to be involved. Just not Michael himself so much.

[MichVandal]

Everything I've read still says GM wants to market Cadillac through this effort.

The thing is, I think Andretti Global is still going to be involved. Just not Michael himself so much.

From what I'm seeing, the entry isn't even going to have the name "Andretti" on it anywhere. And Mike has already stepped back from running the team.

[Spartanforlife4]

From what I'm seeing, the entry isn't even going to have the name "Andretti" on it anywhere. And Mike has already stepped back from running the team.

Why do they hate him so much?

[Spartanforlife4]

Two years in a row Vegas has provided a great race. Prices make it impossible to go to, and the time slot makes it impossible to watch live, but they made a good track out there.

Also thinking back, they did the podium interviews in a weird order. They went 1-2-3 instead of 3-2-1. Then they brought in Max since he won the WDC, which makes sense, but that shouldn’t change going 3-2-1 for the interviews.

[MichVandal]

Why do they hate him so much?

I think they have some personality issues with him, but that's kind of reading through the articles and words.

But I also see him not managing an Indycar team that is successful. So how in the world can he manage a considerably more complex F1 team?

[Russell Jaslow]

From what I'm seeing, the entry isn't even going to have the name "Andretti" on it anywhere. And Mike has already stepped back from running the team.

It's not like GM has the infrastructure to run a team (they don't run any of their racing teams, they "hire" out other shops to do it). Andretti Global already has all that set up with shops and design studios (on both continents) and have already been working on a car.

GM is going to use this. The current Andretti Global CEO has been talking to a lot of folks in F1 and was in Las Vegas.

Name it anything you want, but Andretti Global is involved.

[MichVandal]

It's not like GM has the infrastructure to run a team (they don't run any of their racing teams, they "hire" out other shops to do it). Andretti Global already has all that set up with shops and design studios (on both continents) and have already been working on a car.

GM is going to use this. The current Andretti Global CEO has been talking to a lot of folks in F1 and was in Las Vegas.

Name it anything you want, but Andretti Global is involved.

The Race suggests that F1 does want GM to make the powertrain. No idea how realistic that is, but they see the Indycar effort as close enough to make a go of it. Especially with Honda there, too.

But it sure seems important that Mike isn't in charge and they have what seems to be a more competent team running the program. It sure seems that it's as much Andretti Global as Brawn is these days- some of the same people on the team, but totally different at the top.

[solovsfett]

Why do they hate him so much?

I’d really like to know the answer to this. There is something very peculiar about their attitude towards Michael.

Hakkinen said of his time with McLaren that Andretti was a great driver so it must be something off-track that irked people. Are they still hacked off that he refused to move to Europe?
what could it be?

[MichVandal]

I’d really like to know the answer to this. There is something very peculiar about their attitude towards Michael.

Hakkinen said of his time with McLaren that Andretti was a great driver so it must be something off-track that irked people. Are they still hacked off that he refused to move to Europe?
what could it be?

One thing I will point out, outside of the US, "Andretti" doesn't have the same impact. Mario raced a handful of seasons, and won one championship. Never won LeMans. All of Mario's wins in the US were pre-internet, so few ever knew of how important they were. And Mike was pretty much a washout in F1. Most of his Indycar wins also came prior to the internet, so not much international exposure.

Andretti has as much cache as Phil Hill- who won one championship. And arguably vs Gurney who won a race with his own car.

Look at it a different way- outside of the F1 circles, how big is Senna or Schumacher? I remember the day Senna crashed, I went to an autocross, and the guy I was corner working with had never even heard of Senna. Schumi loved to come to the US as so few people knew who he was.

But it also very much seems that Mike rubbed people the wrong way, pretty badly.

And all of that ignores the lack of success over the last decade of Andretti Global.

[solovsfett]

One thing I will point out, outside of the US, "Andretti" doesn't have the same impact. Mario raced a handful of seasons, and won one championship. Never won LeMans. All of Mario's wins in the US were pre-internet, so few ever knew of how important they were. And Mike was pretty much a washout in F1. Most of his Indycar wins also came prior to the internet, so not much international exposure.

Andretti has as much cache as Phil Hill- who won one championship. And arguably vs Gurney who won a race with his own car.

Look at it a different way- outside of the F1 circles, how big is Senna or Schumacher? I remember the day Senna crashed, I went to an autocross, and the guy I was corner working with had never even heard of Senna. Schumi loved to come to the US as so few people knew who he was.

But it also very much seems that Mike rubbed people the wrong way, pretty badly.

And all of that ignores the lack of success over the last decade of Andretti Global.

Thank you! Excellent points. I tend to forget that even in 1993 when Michael was on McLaren the Andretti name meant FAR more in the U.S. than Europe. Mario won 12 races and a title but ultimately his name was made more in America (INDY 500, Daytona 500), etc. than F1.

he (Mario) was more of an interloper. Didn’t have enough time there to build up a huge fan base or have true rivalries.

side note: Was Ronnie Peterson considered a better driver than Mario?

[Russell Jaslow]

side note: Was Ronnie Peterson considered a better driver than Mario?

Many people believe that. Peterson was extremely fast.

It is also believed that Colin Chapman designated Mario as the driver to go for the championship that year with Ronnie supporting him, with the idea that Peterson would get the designation the following year. Sadly, that never happened.

[Whalers]

As Solo mentions, a lot of the bad blood goes back to 93 when Michael signed to race at McLaren. That was HUGE news for F1, and then Michael proceeded to have less than a stellar performance. He made a lot of comments about not having to move to Europe to be successful. His wife was a prima donna, he thought he was super special and then the lack of results. He flew back and forth for races, meaning he never built up capital with the team, teammate, journalists, TV, etc.

Just look at what drivers like Lauda, Schummi, Hamilton have done to lift the team. They spend time at HQ with the 'boys', engineers, pit crews, etc, to get everyone playing above their skills. So much to be said for that just like it is here stateside in _______ (name your sport).

Senna is LOVED throughout the racing world (unless you were a Prost fan) and is a GOD in Brazil. He was the son of wealth, but raced like a common man with a big chip on his shoulder. What he could do in a car was other worldly. Dare I say, you could put him in the Haas and he would finish no lower than 5th in the Championship. In the rain, only Max is even close.

[Spartanforlife4]

Looks like an agreement has been reached. It’ll be named GM/Cadillac. Mario Andretti will be the director but won’t get his name on anything.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...wHwXkr4efkpnhc