Michael Andretti has announced his plan to launch a team to compete at Le Mans and in elite endurance racing.
Andretti Autosport is already a major player in the motorsport with entries in several different top series. The list of their projects includes, but isn't limited to, Formula E, IndyCar, Extreme E and the Australian Supercars championship.
A place in Formula 1 is his next big desire, and the American has made no secret of that. Andretti has officially applied through the FIA's Expressions of Interest process and has linked up with General Motors and their Cadillac brand to add extra weight to his pitch.
But while he waits for the outcome of that bid, he is pressing ahead with his other plans. His latest new project is plan to expand his team's endurance racing efforts – Andretti Autosport currently competes in the US-based SportsCar Championship – to include the WEC and the biggest long-form races in the world.
"Our goal is to be in every major racing event in the world and Le Mans is one of the big ones, so down the road we definitely want to be there," he declared prior to qualifying for the upcoming 24 Hours of Daytona.
It is quite a bold strategy, considering his presence in European racing is limited. His current satellite operation on this side of the Atlantic will need to be expanded significantly if they do follow through on their plans to enter both the WEC and F1.
It is not yet known if their proposed WEC entry would involve their new friends at General Motors, though Andretti may do well to take advantage of that relationship. Cadillac is taking part at Le Mans this year, with a two-car entry in partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing.
Wayne Taylor Racing, which currently partners Andretti's US endurance efforts, has a relationship with Cadillac also – he played a part in the company's Le Mans efforts at the start of the century. Autoweek claims a General Motors source thinks it would be "no surprise" to see a link up occur.
Working with Taylor, Andretti says, is beneficial not only to their endurance efforts but to their entire racing operation. He added: "If you have the right people in the right position, it should only help the overall effort. I think there are a lot of things they do that I'm going to look at for our IndyCar and Formula E program. I feel it strengthens us and what we are trying to do."
