Liberty Media Confirms DOJ Investigation Into Andretti-Cadillac F1 Bid

Liberty Media, owner of Formula One Group, has confirmed it is under investigation by the Department of Justice for refusing to allow Andretti Global to compete in Formula One.

“We intend to fully cooperate with this investigation, including with any requests for information,” Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said on a conference call Thursday.

The F1 rejection in January followed a six-month review of Andretti’s application, and the reasoning for the rejection was taken personally by both Mario and Michael Andretti and General Motors, which plans to partner with Andretti in F1 under the Cadillac brand. The bid would expand the current 10-team grid to accommodate a two-car American team.

Maffei said Thursday that the company is open to new entrepreneurs who can apply and potentially be approved if they meet certain requirements.

The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

F1’s claims surrounding the rejection included that the Andretti team was not considered competitive; that the Andretti name did not bring the value to the series that Michael Andretti believed; and that getting on the grid in the next two years would be a challenge the likes of which Andretti had never faced before.

Mario Andretti said in April he was deeply offended by the language used by Formula 1 Management in rejecting an offer to join the global motorsport series. The 1978 Formula 1 world champion wrote on social media that he was “devastated”.

In May, six U.S. senators asked the Justice Department to investigate the rejection, saying there were concerns that Formula One was acting on behalf of individual teams and other “key stakeholders,” including foreign carmakers, in what could be a violation of antitrust laws.