Brown: Easiest thing to do is for Andretti to buy existing F1 team

So far, Andretti Autosport's attempts to become F1's 11th team on the grid have proven unsuccessful. Despite this, the American outfit continue their efforts to build up a fully functioning team with the aim of securing a slot for the 2026 season.

Following F1's blockage of Andretti's entry request earlier this year, the father of Andretti owner Michael, Mario, has called the decision "offensive" and undeserved. He he continued his fight to get the sports' governing bodies to reconsider their decision, going so far as to call for further meetings with FOM and criticise F1's supposed greed and monopolisation of the sport.

furthermore, 12 members of US Congress sent out a letter to F1 in May demanding that the full decision-making process for Andretti's rejection be made progress, with further accusations of the elite's "Cartel-like behaviour".

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis-based outfit have crash-tested their F1 concept car at their new F1 headquarters at the Silverstone Circuit. While hopes appear high at Andretti, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has suggested that the team may need to change their entry strategy to persuade not only the governing bodies, but the existing teams on the grid as well.

The Emirati believes the only way Andretti's bid to become an F1 team will be successful will be to buy one of the ten teams already in the sport.

In a similar vein, McLaren Team Principal and American, Zak Brown, also believes that Andretti's only remaining option will be to buy an existing team.

Brown told ESPN: “That would certainly be the easiest thing to do. There doesn’t seem to be anyone who wants to sell at the moment. But that being said, it just means the offer needs to be bigger.

"No F1 team has a ‘for sale’ sign from what I can see on their front door. There’s always a number. These franchise values, I think Williams was bought for $150 million but I don’t think five years later you can buy that team for less than a billion and a half. The value creation has been immense," added the McLaren boss.

Brown continued by claiming that F1's philosophy has changed in recent years, with a greater focus on profitability than ever before. He stated: “Historically in Formula 1, it was: enter, show up and the sport didn’t care if you didn’t make it halfway through a year.

"So in the past, you had Lola start a team and go bust after three races. Previously there was always a team going bust next year. Now you have over half the grid is profitable.

"Liberty is now in a position where you’ve got ten very healthy teams. So they’re going to hold an 11th and 12th team to the extreme highest criteria and extreme due diligence. Which I think is right."

Andretti have previously said that they won't consider buying another team; but with entry doors closing and options exhausted, will they be forced to reconsider?