Formula 1: Who is buying Force India? A full rundown
By Kevin Nguyen
Michael Andretti
Who: Michael Andretti is the 1991 CART champion and owner of Andretti Autosport, which field teams in IndyCar, Indy Lights and Formula E.
Likelihood of buying: Low. There was speculation that Andretti might buy Force India to help expand Formula 1’s United States presence, but he can’t do that alone. Andretti is worth approximately $20 million, which is $10 million less than Rich Energy’s initial cash offer. If Andretti manages to purchase the team, it would have to be part of a consortium.
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With Andretti Autosport are already invested in IndyCar and Formula E, adding a Formula 1 team to their managerial structure may be one series too many. Formula 1 requires a full-time staff, and while Andretti Autosport aren’t lacking in manpower, the Indianapolis-based team cannot afford to split up their staff, especially in the midst of an IndyCar championship battle.
Why: Andretti’s Formula 1 dreams began and died out in 1993 after just 13 races with McLaren, so the idea that he is doing this to fulfill those long-lost dreams isn’t completely out of the question.
However, given the resurgence of IndyCar and Formula 1’s tepid presence in the United States, it is more likely that bringing Andretti into the conversation would allow Liberty Media to expand in the United States while having a leading American owner and popular former driver as the organization’s face.
But other than for United States expansion, Andretti has little interest in Formula 1 aside of potentially stealing Fernando Alonso away to IndyCar in 2019.
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If one of the billionaire driver’s fathers buys Force India, as they are the most likely to, it’ll be interesting to see if Force India or whatever their yet-to-be-determined name will be can keep up with the factory efforts of Mercedes, Ferrari, and Renault.