A bipartisan group of senators has written to the Biden administration asking the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Formula 1 over a possible violation of American antitrust law.
Formula 1, commonly known as F1, in January rejected former American racing star Michael Andretti’s request to join the sport’s grid with a new team, causing an uproar in Congress.
In the letter obtained by The Hill, a group of seven senators led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) asked Justice Department Antitrust Division Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter and Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to look into whether Andretti’s exclusion from the sport violates U.S. antitrust laws.
“It is possible that such a refusal to agree – especially if orchestrated through a group boycott – could violate US antitrust laws,” the senators added.
Michigan Senators Gary Peters (D) and Debbie Stabenow (D), whose state is home to General Motors, also supported calls for an investigation. If Andretti Global is approved to enter the sport, General Motors will sign on to build its engines.
The senators write that Andretti-Cadillac is an American racing team backed by General Motors “trying to enter a competition dominated” by European teams and, despite meeting all the requirements to enter Formula 1, was still refused entry into the Formula 1.
“This has raised substantial concerns that Formula 1 members and sponsors may have conspired to exclude Andretti-Cadillac to isolate themselves from competition on the track and in the European automobile market,” the letter added.
The FIA’s main reasoning in rejecting Andretti’s offer was that F1 does not believe that the team’s entry would add value to the championship.
However, the senators criticized the sport for its reasoning, adding that the position that the Andretti-Cadillac team would not benefit F1 financially and would not be competitive, “in particular for podiums and race victories” was incorrect.
They wrote that the vast majority of F1 teams fail to win races in a given season and adding Andretti to the track would “increase competitiveness”.
“In 2023, a single team has won all but one race, and half of F1 teams have failed to win a race in the last 4 seasons combined. This competitive balance has not been the hallmark of F1 racing and the addition of a team backed by a major US car manufacturer is likely to increase competitiveness, not reduce it.”
They also point out that there is a concerted effort by the sport to attract more American fans, highlighting that more than 1 million Americans watched each F1 race, more than doubling in recent seasons.
The letter also added that F1 has hosted three races in the US, in Miami, Las Vegas and Austin, “while no other country has hosted more than a single race: and that teams such as Red Bull Racing have also held events in US cities to drum up support.”
“Clearly there is a financial incentive to add an American team to the F1 roster, and there is no reason for the Andretti-Cadillac team to be blocked unless the FOM is trying to isolate its current partners from the competition,” they added.
The letter comes just weeks after a bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote to Formula 1 owner Liberty Media demanding answers about Andretti Global’s exclusion from the sport’s starting grid.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
