A group of senators are asking the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Formula 1 after it rejected Michael Andretti's application to join the group with a new team, The Hill reported.
The seven senators, led by Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., allege F1 could be violating antitrust laws by excluding Andretti, according to The Hill, which obtained a copy of the letter they sent.
Michigan Sens. Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, have also called for an investigation. Michigan is home to General Motors which would build Andretti Global's engines, the Hill said.
Andretti-Cadillac, the racing team, met all the requirements to join F1 yet were still refused entry, the Hill reported.
"This has raised substantial concerns that Formula 1's members and sponsors may have colluded to exclude Andretti-Cadillac to insulate themselves from competition on the track and in the European car market," the senators said.
F1 said they rejected Andretti's team because they did not believe they would value to their championship, according to The Hill. The senators said Andretti's team would "enhance competitiveness."
"In 2023, a single team won all but one race, and half the teams in F1 have failed to win a race in the past four seasons combined. This competitive balance has not been the hallmark of F1 racing and adding a team backed by a major U.S. car manufacturer is likely to enhance competitiveness, not reduce it," the senators wrote.
The senators also recently wrote to Liberty Media, which owns F1, demanding answers to Andretti Global's exclusion, the Hill reported.
"There is no reason Team Andretti-Cadillac should be blocked unless FOM is trying to insulate its current partners from competition," the senators said, referirng to Formula 1 Managament, Formula 1’s commercial rights holders.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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