Andretti Global has moved into a new 48,000 square foot (4,460 sq/m) facility at Silverstone as the American motorsport powerhouse continues to work towards a future Formula 1 entry.
Company chairman and CEO Michael Andretti, and his father, the 1978 F1 world champion and 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti, were among the leadership figures present for the move-in ceremony this week. They were joined by 80 staff from Andretti Cadillac UK.
‘The flexible space will house manufacturing facilities, including pattern, model and machine shops, ADM, electronics, R&D and additional office and meeting facilities,’ the team said in a statement.
‘This new space will continue to work hand in hand with our principal Andretti site in Indiana, and our Formula E facility in Banbury and will be a collaborative site for our global family of race teams.’
The team declared that the opening of the new facility sees Andretti embark ‘on the next stage of our preparations to enter the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.’
Andretti submitted a formal entry request in cooperation with engine manufacturer Cadillac, but F1 rejected the application in January following a lengthy commercial assessment. Part of F1’s reasoning was that it felt the championship would provide more value to Andretti than the other way around. Although the setback prevented Andretti and Cadillac from joining the grid in 2025 or 2026, the door was not entirely closed because a 2028 entry point remains possible.
‘Our preparations began some time ago with a focus on critical activities such as assembling key staff and focusing on long lead-time activities including aerodynamic design, mechanical design and vehicle dynamics,’ the statement continued.
‘The new facility will be completed in phases according to commercial and sporting needs and workforce requirements.
‘We have said that our work continues at pace – this new facility embodies that work. While we are building an American works team, having a European base is a great way to attract the best in F1 talent and install state-of-the-art machinery.’
So far, the Andretti F1 project has been organised in a transatlantic capacity across Silverstone, Indianapolis and the General Motors technical facility near Charlotte, North Carolina.
Andretti currently runs cars in IndyCar, Formula E, Extreme E and also has partnerships with other teams in IMSA GTP and Australian Supercars. Last month, it revealed plans for a brand new 90-acre campus in Indiana. The first 400,000 square foot (37,161 square metre) phase of the project that will house Andretti’s IndyCar, Indy NXT and IMSA operations is due to open next year.
