Mario Andretti is hopeful that political and organisational moves could finally smooth the way for his son Michael's Cadillac-supported Formula 1 project.
"There's a lot going on in F1 at the moment," Dutch journalist Jack Plooij said on Ziggo Sport.
One of the significant developments involves Greg Maffei, CEO of Liberty Media, stepping down. "Maffei is leaving," Plooij confirmed, sparking further speculation about potential changes within F1's leadership.
Indeed, according to him, adding to the intrigue are rumours that F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali may also exit his role, possibly transitioning to MotoGP.
"It all has to do with the victory of Donald Trump," Plooij claimed, referring to the former president's successful re-election bid. Before the election, Republican-led investigations into F1's alleged anti-competitive behaviour had targeted the sport's rejection of the Andretti-Cadillac bid.
In another twist, Michael Andretti has stepped back from leading Andretti Global, prompting suggestions of a behind-the-scenes settlement that could help the team secure its spot on the grid.
"Let me be clear," Mario Andretti told Autosprint. "Politics is certainly not a priority for me. However, I have done my duty as a citizen and I am certainly not disinterested in the management of public affairs. This is why I say I am happy with Donald Trump's return to the White House."
Mario also acknowledged his connection to Trump's son, Donald Jr. According to Plooij, "They're going full-on attack now, with the help of the Republicans, towards Formula 1."
While Mario noted the complexity of the situation, he acknowledged that Michael stepping aside could help improve dialogue with F1.
"What can I say? On the one hand, Michael is 62 and a little more time to himself certainly won't hurt him. But then there's another angle, because in the event that his presence was an obstacle to the dialogue between Andretti Global and Formula 1, perhaps this could be a good reason to find ourselves with a less blocked situation."
The 1978 world champion confirmed that Andretti-Cadillac remains committed to joining F1 by 2026.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Brazil GP qualifying controversy continues, with reports suggesting that race director Niels Wittich was fired due to the handling of the red flag incident.
Tellingly, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko endorsed Wittich's successor, Rui Marques, who serves as the race director for F2 and F3. "He did a very good job," Marko told f1-insider.com. "I think the FIA has made a good decision to present him as Wittich's successor."
