Renault CEO Luca de Meo acknowledged that conversations about supplying engines to the upcoming ‘Andretti Global’ team are underway.
Following the failure of Michael Andretti’s intentions to buy Sauber, the operator of the Alfa Romeo F1 team, in 2021, the former Formula One driver returned with a new plan to start Andretti Global, with the goal of joining the series in 2024.
Michael’s father, 1978 World Champion Michael Andretti, had already stated that if the team was allowed to compete, Renault would provide the engines.
Currently, the French company exclusively supplies Alpine, who, as part of Groupe Renault, will take over their works Formula One team in 2021.
While de Meo stated that such discussions fall under the purview of Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, he could confirm that they are going place.
“I think there are discussions, I’m not the one who manages this, it’s rather Laurent Rossi who does it,” Renault CEO Luca de Meo said.
“It’s interesting because there’s a good project behind it, there are competent people who have the means and it can do Formula 1 some good.
“Obviously, in the current context, we are looking for the possibility of joining forces with someone. At one point we were selling engines to Red Bull and McLaren, but that’s not the case anymore.”
The argument surrounding so-called ‘B teams’ in Formula 1 is one topic that Renault is able to avoid by supplying only Alpine, with Haas being a prime example because to their tight ties to Ferrari, and Racing Point causing lots of controversies when they introduced the ‘pink Mercedes’ back in 2020.
But it appears that Andretti Global will not become an Alpine B-team, as de Meo has stated that he dislikes this method. Instead, he thinks Formula One should be made up of ten obviously distinct manufacturers.
“I’m not necessarily a big fan of this idea of having ‘pairs’,” he stated. “I think Formula One deserves ten teams that do the job from A to Z, that’s what I think.”
De Meo declared that this is a feasible option for Formula One going forward: “We do it and we are not the richest in the world.”
“I’m used to saying what I think, but I guess if the system is done like this, it means it suits someone,” he added.
