Liberty/Andretti: US Department of Justice launches investigation

It was the CEO of Liberty Media himself, Greg Maffei, who confirmed the news to his investors during a video conference. The Department of Justice's investigation targets the application of American antitrust laws, in order to determine whether or not Liberty Media's decision violates competition regulations. While the first contacts from Congress remained a dead letter, Maffei confirmed the wishes of the owners of the Formula 1 to cooperate fully with the Ministry of Justice in this investigation.

“We announced this morning a DOJ (Department Of Justice) investigation. It is our intention to cooperate fully with this investigation, including if requests for further information are made. Our decision, that of F1, was in compliance with all applicable US antitrust laws, and we have detailed the reasons for our decision vis-à-vis Andretti in previous statements. »

Liberty “not opposed” to expanding the grid

One of the reasons given by Liberty was the supposed lack of competitiveness of the team when it arrived in Formula 1, having to spend two seasons as a customer team of another engine manufacturer, before the arrival of Cadillac in 2028. Another was the fact that Andretti's name would benefit more from the influence of Formula 1 than bring anything to the notoriety of the championship. Michael and Mario Andretti have since increased attacks in the media, and the team continues to follow its roadmap, including a new campus inaugurated a few months ago in Silverstone, England.

This refusal was perceived by some as the desire of Liberty and the current teams to keep their share of the pie. Greg Maffei reiterated that he is not against the addition of an eleventh team to the world championship grid, but that everything must be done according to a very precise process.

« We're certainly not opposed to the idea of ​​expansion, we don't think all expansion is bad. There is an expansion methodology that requires approval from the FIA ​​and F1. We are very open to new entrants applying and potentially being approved if these conditions are met. »

It remains to be seen what the US Department of Justice will decide, which could potentially force Liberty Media to accept Andretti's request, if it is decided that antitrust laws were not respected in this specific case.

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