Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that Andretti should purchase the Alpine team to secure a place on the Formula 1 grid.
Michael Andretti, son of 1978 World Champion Mario, has previously confirmed that his prospective entry has signed up to the FIA’s Expression of Interest process.
Although Andretti has agreed to a partnership with Cadillac and secured a provisional supply of Renault engines, the American outfit’s advances have been met with stern opposition by F1 and its teams, who are concerned about the dilution of the prize money awarded annually.
While Andretti has claimed he’s approached each of the existing 10 teams to no avail, Marko believes a purchase of the Renault-owned Alpine squad would provide an ideal outcome for all parties.
“Andretti should buy the Alpine team,” he told German outlet Sport1.
“That would be best for everyone. Formula 1 would keep its 10 teams, Andretti could finally get in, and Renault can still be involved.”
Marko’s recommendation comes amid a huge period of uncertainty within the Enstone side’s ranks.
It was announced during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend that Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer and long-time Sporting Director Alan Permane would be departing.
That follows confirmation earlier this month Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi had been relieved of his involvement in the F1 operation.
The plethora of changes have come with the team languishing sixth in the Constructors’ Championship, with Alpine also attempting to lobby for a return to engine equalisation to enable engine supplier Renault to catch up on its current power output deficiency.
Marko has supported the words of Red Bull team boss Christian Horner by disclosing the Austrian outfit wasn’t opposed to granting Renault that opportunity to make inroads.
“We weren’t against it in the Renault case,” Marko revealed.
“But it must be clearly demonstrated that the performance gap is significant. And it must be ensured that the measures taken do not weaken the rest of us.
“That’s why the application has been put on hold at the moment.”
With Red Bull previously struggling to catch up with engine development earlier in the turbo-hybrid era, Marko concedes sympathy for Renault’s current predicament.
“I can understand their problems,” he added. “Because it’s not just about engine performance.
“If you are too far behind in performance, you will have to make compromises with the car setup to compensate for the lack of speed on the straights. And that comes at the expense of the driving characteristics of the car.”
