Just days after Mario Andretti appeared on Capitol Hill, Republican Jim Jordan has written to F1’s owners demanding explanations for the decision-making process that has blocked Andretti’s hopes.
American television and radio network NBC published a letter it had obtained from Jordan outlining a request for documents and information relating to F1’s call on denying Andretti a spot on the grid.
In the letter, which has been sent to Liberty CEO Greg Maffei and F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, Jordan says he wants answers to ensure that no illegal anti-competitive behaviour took place.
“The Committee on the Judiciary is responsible for examining the sufficiency of federal competition laws to protect against monopolies and other unfair restraints on trade,” he wrote.
“Sports leagues, like Formula 1, operate in a notable area of antitrust law in which some degree of collusion is necessary for the creation of the product.
“However, when a sports league deviates from its rules and practices in a manner that reduces competition and depresses consumer interest in the product, the collusion may amount to anti-competitive conduct.”
Jordan outlined that he did not accept some of the explanations that F1 made for rejecting Andretti’s bid when it announced in January that it had decided against allowing it onto the grand prix grid.
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
He wrote: “The excuses put forward for denying Andretti Cadillac’s entry appear to be pretextual, arbitrary, and unrelated to Andretti Cadillac’s suitability to compete in Formula 1.
“For example, Formula 1 alleged that a new team could only add value to Formula 1 by ‘competing for podiums and race wins.’
“However, the FIA had already analysed—and approved of—the technical capabilities of Andretti Cadilac to compete among current teams, and most current teams in Formula 1 do not meet Formula 1’s standard of regularly competing for ‘podiums and race wins’
“Formula 1 also faulted Andretti Cadillac for attempting to use an existing engine manufacturer because it could ‘be damaging to the prestige and standing of’ Formula 1. At the same time, however, Formula 1 stated that if Andretti Cadillac used a new engine manufactured by General Motors in the team’s first year, a new engine would create a challenge for the new team.
“Formula 1 cannot have it both ways. The truth, as FIA President Muhamed Ben Sulayem explained, is that the…
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