Andretti’s interest in buying Alpine to enter Formula 1 assessed

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Andretti may have failed in their bid to become Formula 1’s eleventh team, but they could buy another team on the grid – such as Alpine – to achieve their dream.

The American outfit have hired hundreds of staff and even agreed power unit deals with Renault and General Motors despite their application to join the grid being rejected in February.

However, speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Edd Straw has shared what he knows about whether a potential deal could be done with the French manufacturer.

Andretti’s F1 dream could be kept alive if they buy Alpine

It’s safe to say the 2024 Formula 1 season couldn’t have started more disappointingly for Alpine.

Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon qualified on the back row of the grid and didn’t make much progress in the race.

They finished 17^th and 18^th, but only because the two drivers behind them both had technical issues.

Two key members of staff at Alpine have since resigned and it appears to be a team in turmoil.

Six months ago, Mario Andretti admitted that his son Marco could buy a current F1 team such as Alpine to get onto the grid.

However, it’s looking less and less likely that they’ll move to take over the French team.

Renault are unlikely to sell up off the back of one bad race and although they’re likely to suffer for the foreseeable future, things could improve in the coming months.

Andretti still striving for Formula 1 entry

Speaking about the Andretti situation, Straw said: “What would the Alpine season need to look like for the Renault corporate leaders to consider offers from Andretti or others to sell the team?

“Well, I feel like the point where Renault might lose patience would be if 2026 doesn’t start well because now it’s all of course looking to then when there’s another opportunity two years down the line when there’s a new power unit etc.

“When that turns out to underdeliver, that’s the point when they might do it.

“As I understand it, Andretti aren’t very interested in Alpine and I don’t think their poor start would have helped that particular desire.

“But, at the same time as I’ve always said, if Andretti could buy an existing team it would be very good to get around the fact they don’t currently have an entry and they’re still ploughing on full steam ahead, but they don’t have that approval as of yet.

“So, maybe there’s a possibility something like could happen, but they’re [Renault] going to run out of patience eventually.”

Andretti appear unlikely to buy Alpine any time soon although Haas is another option they could consider.

Mercedes team principal gave a quite bizarre reason for not wanting Andretti to have their own entry on the grid.

The cost of Andretti entering F1 as their own team could be about to grow, but purchasing Renault’s Alpine assets would likely be even pricier.

It’s hard to see a solution for the proposed American team arising any time soon.