Andretti is continuing to ramp up preparations for its prospective entry into Formula 1 with hires from several incumbent teams, according to Technical Director Nick Chester.
The FIA confirmed in October last year that it had approved Andretti’s submission, but the eponymous squad’s bid currently remains under review by Formula One Management.
However, amid Andretti’s plan to join F1 in 2025, Chester, formerly of Renault during Fernando Alonso’s title-winning stint, was appointed to oversee the project last year.
Along with Chester, Andretti has formulated a structure that includes Jon Tomlinson, who was also at the Enstone squad at the time, as Head of Aerodynamics, and John McQuilliam, who upholds an extensive background in F1 working with teams such as Williams, was hired as Chief Designer.
Meanwhile, the American-owned squad has a base housed in Silverstone, with 120 people on board for the nascent operation that has plans to test a prototype full-scale F1 chassis model in Toyota’s wind tunnel situated in Cologne, Germany in mid-2024.
Speaking to The Athletic, Chester outlined Andretti’s desire to become a success in F1 and divulged that he has had little trouble attracting personnel from current top teams.
“It’s a team that wants to do it properly and wants to win,” Chester said. “You don’t want to be anywhere that doesn’t have that ethos.
“As I started talking before I joined, the resource behind it, the effort that was going to go behind it to make it win, just made it very, very attractive.
“I was pleasantly surprised, in a way, how easy it was to draw people to the project. There’s a real draw of a new team, the Andretti name. A blank sheet tends to have a very proactive culture.
“We’ve had people joining from Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren. They all wanted a new challenge. It’s that real potential to shape departments, which is very attractive.”
The existing teams have been opposed to Andretti due to concerns about a diluted prize pot, despite the promise that its admission would yield General Motors as a new power unit manufacturer from 2028.
Chester, however, declares that Andretti’s progress would not have been possible without GM, who have already contributed around 50 people to the project’s workforce.
“We wouldn’t have got half of what we’ve got done now without GM’s involvement,” Chester asserted.
“It’s not an arrangement where you throw things backwards and forwards, it’s much more like one team. It’s getting really nicely integrated.”
