Outside Line: Poker game to decide Andretti 11th F1 team saga

While the FIA can ordain up to 12 F1 team entries, the 11th entry process has been so convoluted, so complex that few actually understand what's going on and why the delays as F1 heads to the Americas for the next month. Where questions will be asked.

From where I sit the best way to describe what's going on, is by a game of one-deck poker, between the ten teams and the FIA; where the latter has a Straight Flush and waits on an Ace to make it a Royal Flush. The F1 teams, on the opposite side of the table, hold three aces and wait on another one to make it the highest four-of-a-kind possible, thwarting that Royal Flush.

As it stands, the F1 world waits on the dealer (who peeked at the next card: an Ace!) to deal it to one side of the table or the other. And the one holding that Ace is F1 Chief Stefano Domenicali.

Now that, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has thrown his Ace in with Michael Andretti's Cadillac-partnered bid the 'formality' of accepting the recommended 11th team lies firmly with Domenicali. That means he has decisions to make before he flies into an inevitable bombardment of 11th-team questions from the moment he lands in the USA.

Batting for the best interests of Liberty Media shareholders, which way will Domeincali sway is the big question? The consensus is he is siding with the teams to keep out Andretti, for what he believes (misguided?) to be the 'ten-only' best solution for the sport.

But to complicate matters, not even Christian Horner knows. When asked about the Andretti bid the Red Bull team principal told Sky Sport Italia: "That's a question you should ask Stefano. It would help if you asked him what he wants from this sport. It’s all about the money, and very political.”

While hurdles are thrown at the Andrettis at every chance by the existing cabal of ten F1 teams, even Alpine/Renault announcing (quite loudly) that their 'pre-nup' with Andretti was nullified.

But in 2026, with the new rules that kick in that year, there will be six F1 engine suppliers as confirmed by the FIA: Alpine Racing, Audi, Honda Racing Corporation, Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains Ltd, Red Bull Ford and Ferrari S.p.A.

The statement from the FIA at the time pointed out: "These companies will supply the next generation of Formula 1 Power Unit set out in the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Sporting and Technical PU regulations that are published on the FIA website."

At this stage of the process, Alpine, who are struggling to power their own team let alone two, pulling out and calling for further negotiations might be a godsend for Andretti, with their longtime Indycar partners Honda coming on board as an engine supplier again in 2026, apart from a few others who might want some extra cash for their PU projects..

Over to you Mr Domenicali...