Liberty Media, owner of Formula One Group, confirmed it is being investigated by the Department of Justice over its denial Andretti Global entry into Formula 1.
“We intend to cooperate fully with that investigation, including any related requests for information,” Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei said during a conference call Thursday.
The Formula 1 The January rejection followed a six-month review of Andretti’s application and the reason for the rejection was taken personally by both Mario and Michael Andretti, as well as General Motorsthat plans to partner with Andretti in Formula 1 under his Cadillac brand. The bid would expand the current 10-team field to accommodate a two-car American team.
Maffei said Thursday that the company is open to new participants applying and may be approved if certain requirements are met.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
F1 drivers claimed, among other things, that they did not believe Andretti would be a competitive team, that the Andretti name does not add the value to the series that Michael Andretti believes it does, and that it would be a challenge for Andretti to get on the grid within two years.
Mario Andretti said in April that he was deeply offended by the language used by Formula One management in denying the possibility of joining global Formula 1. motorsport series. The 1978 Formula 1 world champion posted on social media that he “destroyed.”
In May, six US senators the Ministry of Justice called on to investigate the rejection, saying there were concerns Formula 1 was acting on behalf of individual teams and other “key stakeholders”, including foreign car manufacturers, and that this could be a breach of antitrust laws.