Andretti recently opened a new headquarters at Silverstone and has now launched a recruitment spree to populate its European base with F1 personnel, despite having been informed by the series that he will not be allowed to take part in the season 2026.
The 60 vacancies include F1 management positions such as Head of Aeronautical Development, Head of Mechanical Design and various other engineering positions including Aerodynamics and CFD, Model Design, Electronics, Control Systems, IT, Performance and vehicle manufacturing.
All positions are based at its Silverstone Park estate, on the outskirts of the grand prix circuit and opposite Aston Martin’s new headquarters.
In its rejection statement, F1 said it was not convinced Andretti would provide enough value, but it left the door open for a new registration process for the 2028 season. The American manufacturer is considering rolling out working engines from Cadillac parent GM, which should help bolster its case.
Speaking to the Associated Press, F1 and IndyCar legend Mario Andretti said there would be more meetings with F1 bosses, including at next week’s Miami Grand Prix.
“We only had one meeting with them, that’s a problem,” the 1978 world champion told AP.
“We don’t have enough. I think that’s why I’m really looking forward to our next meeting. Let’s sit down.
Michael Andretti, Mario Andretti, Dan Towriss, Andretti Global
Photo by: Andretti
“There have been some missed opportunities along the way, but we have to look to the future, not the past. I remain hopeful because we never stop working towards that.
“It has been made clear that our work is moving forward at pace and, as you can see, we are not just talking.
“We’re putting bricks and mortar together. We’ve shown that with the team that already has a place at Silverstone.”
Andretti was convinced that the rejection from F1 was “definitely based on the financial aspect”, as he and his son Michael, who owns and runs the team, felt they had never been told of other compelling reasons.
“We’re trying to say, ‘We’ll do whatever you ask us.’ But they haven’t told us yet, other than a few excuses like, ‘Oh, we don’t want you to come, we don’t want you to be embarrassed,'” he added.
“But we don’t want to embarrass ourselves, and the fact is that General Motors has made it clear that they are excited about this project.
“They have a long-term commitment there and I don’t know what else we can do.”
