The regret felt by fans is as great as the shadows that still loom over the Andretti case. Last August 8, the US Department of Justice opened an antitrust investigation into Liberty Media. Well, according to what was gathered by F1-Insider, the ongoing investigation could have important implications.
Andretti case investigation: another piece of a long story
Formula 1, as we know, is not just about sporting performance. In addition to the feats of the drivers on the track that make fans fall in love, there is also a lot of politics and many economic interests. Nothing strange, as we are talking about a double face present in many fields of sport and culture. Problems arise, however, when politics and money overwhelm the merits and sporting events. This is exactly what is happening with the Andretti case, the team that should have entered Formula 1 next year under the guidance of Michael Andretti.
The opportunity for the historic American team, which already has experience in Indycar and Formula E, emerged last year, when the FIA had shown itself in favor of opening the Formula 1 championship to other teams, in addition to the 10 already participating. Andretti had thus come forward, setting up an important project that would have seen him as a protagonist together with Cadillac, of the General Motors group. Although the FIA, after due technical evaluations, seemed to have reached a agreement with the aspiring new team having the blessing of president Ben Sulayem, the commercial rights holders of F1, namely Liberty Media, have rejected Andretti's candidacy at the beginning of 2024.
Liberty Media's decision has sparked a lot of controversy, also because it has proven, for a change, to be unclear. In fact, it seems that the main reason for the exclusion was a mail sent by FOM, controlled by Liberty Media, ended up in the spam section of the Andretti team's email. The text contained an invitation to a meeting that the leader Micheal would have to face, as per procedure, with the top management of FOM itself. A pretext that seems to hide something else behind it. In fact, the controversy regarding a possible eleventh team on the grid (the FIA limit seems to be 12 registered teams) had already begun some time before, with the Formula 1 teams upset by the fact of having to divide the annual revenues with an additional team.

US Senators Meet to Clarify Andretti Case
Liberty Media argued its decision in early 2024 in 20 points. In addition to the email problem, there also seem to have been doubts about the competitiveness of the Andretti project in Formula 1. The affair has not gone down well with either the American group or its leader Michael, who in recent weeks has sold the majority share of Andretti Global to the insurance magnate. Dan Towriss. In short, a story that certainly did not have the happy outcome that motorsport lovers had hoped for.
The Andretti case does not seem to be completely concluded yet. Last August il Department of Justice of the United States Government has formally opened an antitrust investigation against Liberty Media. The political initiative is also being carried forward by senators of the Democratic Party than that Republican, also involving the Federal Trade Commission, the government agency that has the task of protecting consumers and preventing monopoly situations. Together, they decided to investigate the exclusion of the Andretti team from the Formula 1 championship. The tones used in the Press release of last May 21, with which American politicians sided with the team, favoring the hypothesis of an investigation that as mentioned materialized in August, are quite strong. The senators described Formula 1 as a competition "dominated by European teams".

Some evidence gathered could lead to serious trouble for Liberty Media
As of today, according to the German newspaper F1 Insiders, the investigation seems to be having important implications. Ralph Back's article explains how among the evidence collected there could be messages from a WhatsApp group, in which Stefano Domenicali and the heads of the Formula 1 teams would be present. The jokes exchanged between the participants could demonstrate how illegal agreements were made between Liberty Media and the teams. All to exclude Andretti from future Formula 1 championships.
If this version of events were to be confirmed, it would be serious trouble for Liberty Media. In fact, one of the 20 points with which the rejection of Andretti's candidacy was justified would be denied. Precisely, point number 7, which literally said: "Our assessment did not involve any consultation with current F1 teams". This evidence, if true, would demonstrate something completely different. Confirming how Andretti's exclusion has no sporting motivations at its base, but exclusively economic ones. Another problem for Liberty Media, which, together with the FIA, is increasingly tarnishing the image of this sport loved by millions of people around the world.
Source: f1-insider.com, formulapassion.it