5 drivers Andretti should consider if they enter Formula 1 in 2025

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Formula 1 currently only has 10 teams, but Andretti want to enter the sport as soon as possible and if they get the nod in 2025, here are five drivers they should consider.

With Audi set to enter the sport a year later alongside Sauber, the driver market is set to hot up very soon.

There’s a chance that if they can get agreement from every other team, Andretti could be on the grid sooner than many might expect.

The last time a new team entered Formula 1 was when Haas joined the paddock in 2016.

They signed Esteban Gutierrez and Romain Grosjean as their first driver pairing while the Frenchman hit the ground running, Gutierrez had a tougher time.

Andretti will know how important it is to sign the right drivers and if they do enter the sport in 2025, here are five options they could possibly consider.

Logan Sargeant – 23 – Williams

The most obvious driver for Andretti to try and sign is the only American on the grid; Logan Sargeant.

The rookie just about kept his place on the grid after a difficult first year, but there’s plenty of hope within Williams that he can kick on now.

However, he’s only been offered a one-year extension and if he’s looking for a seat in 2025, then appealing to Andretti as the most experienced American available might land him the job.

There could be concerns within Andretti that signing a backmarker isn’t going to set their Formula 1 ambitions off on the right path.

But Sargeant will have an additional year of experience under his belt and working closely with Alex Albon during that time is only going to help him.

Colton Herta – 23 – IndyCar

The only driver on this list not associated with Formula 1, Colton Herta has already been linked with potentially driving for Andretti in F1.

He’s already got connections to the team through IndyCar and is one of the most exciting young talents within his series.

He has previously been a development driver for McLaren and when Andretti were in talks to buy Sauber in 2022, he was touted as a potential option.

There was even a suggestion before AlphaTauri hired Nyck de Vries that Herta could force his way onto the grid through the Red Bull route.

That didn’t come to pass but there does appear to be plenty of clamour for Herta to get his chance in F1.

Mick Schumacher – 24 – World Endurance Championship

Formula 1 is doing everything possible right now to build itself as a brand in the United States.

Having another American team on the grid in Andretti will only boost that, but having a recognisable name in the car will go a long way to helping too.

Mick Schumacher would fill that role and despite dropping out of F1 in 2022 after two years with Haas, there’s still an expectation that he’s quick enough to be deserving of a place on the grid.

He’s set to spend 2024 driving in the WEC and if he impresses there then teams will be wondering whether it’s the right time to give the former Formula 2 champion another shot.

Valtteri Bottas – 34 – Sauber

Andretti may recognise that in order to quickly build a car ahead of joining Formula 1, they will need an experienced driver to guide their development.

An obvious option in this respect is Valtteri Bottas, who will see his contract with Sauber end at the end of 2024.

The team are one of the slowest on the grid and with Audi set to take control in 2026, they’ll want to have their own say on their driver line-up.

That could mean Bottas being let go and with his F1 career likely to come to an end in the next few years, helping Andretti’s burgeoning hopes in the sport could be the perfect way to sign off on an impressive spell on the grid.

Yuki Tsunoda – 23 – AlphaTauri

The final suggestion would be AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda who continues to improve in Red Bull’s sister team.

In three seasons in F1, Tsunoda has improved at a gradual rate in one of the worst cars on the grid.

Sergio Perez’s future is uncertain but it seems more likely that Daniel Ricciardo or a driver from outside the group takes the Mexican’s seat over the 23-year-old.

The introduction of Andretti to the grid could see Tsunoda copy Pierre Gasly’s move to Alpine and escape the Red Bull group while establishing himself within a works team.

Whether he has the seniority to command that position yet is up for debate, but he’s undoubtedly fast and has a personality that an American team could get behind.