WASHINGTON D.C. -- A bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including multiple Indiana lawmakers, are expressing concerns surrounding the prevention of Andretti Global and General Motors from competing in Formula One.
In a letter to Gregory Maffei, the president and chief executive officer of Liberty Media Corporation, the company that is the commercial rights holder to Formula One Management, lawmakers are expressing concerns about "apparent anti-competitive actions" that may prevent the companies from participating in Formula One. The lawmakers who signed the letter include:
- U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Indiana District 3
- U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indiana District 7
- U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Indiana District 9
- U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana District 6
- U.S. Rep. Rudy Yakym, R-Indiana District 2
Other lawmakers outside the state of Indiana also signed the letter, including:
- U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas District 13
- U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan District 11
In late January, Formula One rejected Andretti Global’s application to join the series in 2025 or 2026 as the 11th team in the series. Officials said that they could revisit the decision in 2028 when General Motors has an engine ready for competition.
In its decision, Formula One said it did not believe Andretti would be a competitive team. This comes after the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile approved Andretti Global to enter the series in 2026.
“Our assessment process has established that the presence of an 11th team would not, in and of itself, provide value to the Championship,” F1 said in a statement at the time. “While the Andretti name carries some recognition for F1 fans, our research indicates that F1 would bring value to the Andretti brand rather than the other way around.”
The lawmakers' letter stressed that the racing series should be based on merit, claiming the decision was made only to protect the current lineup of race teams. The letter also highlighted the series' growing presence in the United States.
"FOM's rejection appears to be driven by the current line-up of European Formula 1 race teams, many of which are affiliated with foreign automobile manufacturers that directly compete with American automotive companies like GM," the letter reads. "It is unfair and wrong to attempt to block American companies from joining Formula 1, which could also violate American antitrust laws."
The lawmakers asked the company, as well as Formula One Management, to answer some of the following questions by May 3:
- Under what authority does FOM proceed to reject admission of Andretti Global?
- What is the rationale for the rejection, "especially with respect to Andretti Global and its partner GM, potentially being the first American-owned and America-built race team?"
- How does FOM's denial of Andretti Global and GM fall under the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890? The Sherman Act outlaws unreasonable restraints on market competition to produce the best outcome for the American consumer.