31 January 2024 , 07:00
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Michael Andretti has poached staff from several top Formula 1 teams to boost his chances of success if his own outfit joins the grid.
That very much remains a significantly sized 'if'. The FIA has given the American the green light to join the sport, but F1 itself has the final say and most of the existing outfits are against an expansion to 11 teams.
A final decision is expected in the coming months - but the Americans are not sitting around and twiddling their thumbs in the meantime. The project is in full swing with Andretti acting as though he will get approval.
"Time is always of the essence in F1," he told The Athletic. "We've been working as fast as we possibly can to ensure we have as competitive a car and as strong a team as possible when we do take our place on the grid."
The project has already recruited more than 120 staff members - most of them forming the technical department. And work is well underway on designing the team's car, the project is currently homed at a satellite base in Silverstone while work at a brand new headquarters in Fishers, Indiana, is completed across the pond.
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Nick Chester, a veteran of 20 years working for the Enstone team currently branded as Alpine, is one of the more high-profile people on board with the project and, as technical director, is leading the work going into the car design.
Also speaking to The Athletic, he spoke about the talent that the project has been able to attract even though its F1 entry is far from guaranteed. "I was pleasantly surprised, in a way, how easy it was to draw people to the project," he said.
"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, and McLaren. They all wanted a new challenge. It's that real potential to shape departments, which is very attractive."
Meanwhile, former Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer says he has been approached by Andretti to possibly head up the project. "I have had some discussions with Michael Andretti - he'd called me even before I went to Alpine and I told him I'd love to help him," he told Motor Sport Magazine.
"They have to get the F1 entry first, because without an entry how can I help him? If they are accepted then I will be able to discuss getting involved, getting them started, getting them moving."