Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur believes that Formula 1’s continued growth in the United States is more dependent on developing a successful American driver than welcoming a new team like Andretti.
F1 has become exponentially more popular in the United States since Liberty Media acquired the sport at the end of 2016, which has culminated in races in both Miami and Las Vegas being added to the Austin event.
The opportunity for a second American team to enter the fray is currently on the table after the FIA confirmed last month it had finally accepted the terms of Andretti’s application.
However, Michael Andretti’s eponymous team must negotiate terms with Formula One Management before it is given the green light to become the series’ latest addition.
Andretti’s bid to enter F1 from the 2025 season has been met with stern opposition from the incumbent teams, who have raised repeated concerns about a diluted prize pot.
Vasseur, who argued Andretti must demonstrate its “added value” to F1 outside of its American status, believes the country would benefit more from a thriving driver.
Logan Sargeant became the first full-time American driver since 2007 this year, but the rookie struggled with Williams and only scored a singular point across the season.
“It depends on which team is the 11th,” he told Motorsport Italy. “On paper there is always room for an 11th team if the teams receive something from Formula 1. We talked about the provenance of the team, but for me it is not the right approach to the matter.
“F1 is successful where there are winning drivers. Currently one of the countries where F1 gets the most attention is the Netherlands because [Max] Verstappen is there.
“It’s a question of the nationality of the drivers, not of the teams,” he continued. “Currently we already have an American team, which is Haas, and if we are talking about Andretti, I imagine that he will come with the same approach as Haas.
“If we really want to be successful in the United States, it will be more about having American drivers at the start and being successful, rather than having American teams.”
After Williams chief James Vowles stated F1 shouldn’t welcome an 11th team until the existing sides are all “financially stable”, Vasseur believes the landscape has changed since the previous Concorde Agreement opened the possibility for an expanded grid.
“For me, having an 11th team and another manufacturer is fine, why not? But we have to keep in mind that, when we opened the doors to an 11th team four, five years ago, the situation was completely different from the current one,” Vasseur explained.
“Regarding the Concordat Agreement, Ferrari was there, Mercedes was there. Honda was almost out. Renault thought it would continue. It means that there were two manufacturers and one engine supplier who would continue for another 5 years.
“We agreed on an 11th team, but if this team had not reached an agreement with even just one of the 10 teams present in Formula 1 and had wanted to enter as a manufacturer of cars and engines, we would have had to find a solution for the well-being of F1.
“Today we are in a somewhat confusing situation. We have 6 engine suppliers, and some of my colleagues are saying that they are too many because we would like to have two teams for each power unit supplier and we are not in that situation.
“Going back to what was said before, even for the current situation it’s not a question of the team, but of the nationality of the drivers.”
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