Andretti has signed former Formula 1 technical director Pat Symonds as part of his ongoing bid to break into the Formula 1 grid.
Simmonds, 70, will join the project upon completion of his horticultural sabbatical, the duration of which has not been disclosed, and he has been appointed as Andretti's executive engineering consultant.
A former technology chief at the likes of Benetton, Renault and Williams, Symonds – who was banned from Formula 1 as a result of the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix 'Crashgate' scandal, but then said the ban had been overturned – has been part of the Formula 1 technology team since 2017 .
His signing is a strange one for an Andretti team that does not have F1's blessing to enter.
Formula 1 formally rejected Andretti's bid in January, issuing a statement in which the commercial rights holder said, after conducting an in-depth assessment, Andretti had not proven he would add enough value to offset what his addition would cost to the existing 10 teams nor had he proven he would be competitive.
This was despite Andretti receiving an offer from the FIA
Andretti – which has partnered with General Motors, specifically its Cadillac brand, and which has announced that it will run custom Cadillac power units from 2028 onwards (but would like to enter in 2026 as a customer first) – has continued to develop and expand its program publicly despite So. Formula 1 rejected.
In addition, she has also lobbied Congress in her native United States.
A letter sent to F1 and its owner Liberty from the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee has now been followed up, according to US media, by a bipartisan group of senators seeking to raise the matter with the Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission.
