Andretti Never Received Email About F1 Meeting Because It Got Stuck In Spam Folder

Photo: Tim Sharp (AP)

Formula 1 rejected Andretti Global’s Cadillac-backed application to join the sport last week, claiming, among other things, that it didn’t believe Andretti-Cadillac would be competitive. Apparently, though, there’s another reason Andretti and F1 weren’t able to come to an agreement. As the Associated Press reports, F1 sent Andretti an email about an in-person meeting that got caught in Andretti’s spam folder.

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While explaining its reasons for rejecting Andretti’s application, F1 pointed out that it had emailed Andretti on December 12 “extending an invitation to an in-person meeting at our offices in order for the applicant to present its application, but the applicant did not take us up on this offer.” You could understand why F1 would consider that rude.

According to Andretti Global, though, it had to bring in its information technology department to locate the email, which apparently got filtered out by the spam filter because it was sent by an F staffer, not CEO Stefano Domenicali like Andretti had been expecting.

“We were not aware that the offer of a meeting had been extended and would not decline a meeting with Formula One Management, “Andretti said in a statement. “An in-person meeting to discuss commercial matters would be and remains of paramount importance to Andretti Cadillac. We welcome the opportunity to meet with Formula One Management and have written to them confirming our interest.”

Despite the confusion over the missing email, it doesn’t sound like F1 is interested in reconsidering Andretti’s application, at least before the 2028 season. At that point, Cadillac will have had time to develop an in-house power unit. Without Cadillac ready to power its entry, Andretti would have had to reach an agreement with another power unit supplier to provide engines for the next several years until the Cadillac unit was ready.