During the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media, confirmed that there will be no involvement of Andretti in Formula 1, according to Mario Andretti.
Mario Andretti says that he and Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei had an unusual discussion during the recent Miami Grand Prix weekend.
During the Miami Grand Prix weekend, Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 World Champion, accuses Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media, of opposing the participation of the emerging Andretti F1 team.
Mario Andretti and Liberty Media CEO conversation revealed
Mario Andretti, accompanied by his son Michael who leads the Andretti F1 team, was present at the Miami Grand Prix. They were determined to impress Formula One Management (FOM) in order to secure entry to F1 for the year 2026. During the event, Mario Andretti reported an altercation with Greg Maffei, the CEO of Liberty Media.
In an interview with NBC News, Andretti shared details about his encounter with Maffei. Maffei, who heads Liberty Media, the commercial rights holder for Formula 1 and the parent company of FOM, allegedly made a comment that Andretti found hard to believe.
During a breakfast in Miami on Saturday, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali inquired about Andretti’s visit to Washington after lawmakers had invited him to speak outside the Capitol. This invitation was extended due to F1’s rejection of the Andretti F1 team in January.
Andretti informed NBC that during the exclusive breakfast reception at the Palm Club, he had been talking to Domenicali when Maffei approached to interject.
Andretti said that he had been asked to go there.
“While I was attempting to clarify this to Stefano, Greg Maffei, also known as Mr. Maffei, interrupted our conversation and stated firmly, ‘Mario, I want to assure you that I will exert all my influence to ensure that Michael [Andretti] is barred from participating in Formula 1.'”
Andretti expressed disbelief when Maffei walked away and hasn’t made contact since.
“I was completely taken aback by that. I never expected it to be so personal when we were discussing business. It truly shocked me. I was in disbelief, as if a bullet had pierced through my heart.”
When PlanetF1.com asked F1 about the matter, FOM chose not to provide any comment.
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Andretti’s account of events was challenged by a confidential source close to Liberty Media, as reported by NBC.
According to the NBC report, the source stated that Andretti approached Greg during breakfast for a discussion. The report further mentions that Maffei informed Andretti during their conversation that the team’s application had been declined due to valid business reasons.
In the United States, there is a growing push for F1 to allow Andretti’s admission. A bipartisan group of senators has urged the Biden administration to investigate this matter under antitrust regulations, adding to the mounting pressure on F1.
The senators expressed that a refusal to engage in business transactions, particularly if coordinated through a group boycott, could potentially breach U.S. antitrust laws.
According to them, F1 organized three races in America last year, specifically in Miami, Las Vegas, and Austin. Interestingly, no other nation held more than one race. They emphasized that it is evident there are financial benefits to including an American team in F1. Therefore, there should be no impediment unless there is an intention from Formula 1 management to protect their existing partners from competition.
Maffei, the chairman of Live Nation, finds himself involved in not only the current political pressure but also facing an antitrust lawsuit expected to be filed by the US Justice Department against Live Nation, the owner of Ticketmaster, this week.
Andretti has made it clear that he was not the one who started the approach to the Capitol. He was invited to give an explanation regarding the situation after a recent Red Bull F1 showrun.
After meeting with lawmakers and Senators, Andretti’s application for F1 has been accused by members of Congress of participating in anti-competitive practices.
The Andretti team has successfully recruited Pat Symonds, Formula 1’s chief technical officer, who will be joining the Silverstone-based squad later this year. Symonds will be making the switch after a period of gardening leave.
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