Michael Andretti’s shock announcement that he would be stepping down as CEO of Andretti Global surprised much of the motorsport world.
The American has led the organisation since 2002, and overseen plenty of success over the years – including IndyCar championships and Indy 500 victories.
In recent times, he shared an interest to possess a team in the pinnacle of motorsport but was rejected by Formula One Management.
Despite the investment in infrastructure, the group believes that the team wouldn’t bring enough value to the sport, and instead left the door open for a 2028 entry, instead of 2025 or 2026.
Michael Andretti confirms he is not ‘going away’
Andretti has overseen a lot of impressive work over the years but now relinquishes control of the team he has led for over two decades.
At the age of 62, perhaps the American has decided after an extensive racing career, followed by the toil and hard work of owning a team, that it is time to rest up a bit.
Speaking in an open letter on the Andretti website, he addressed the world by reminding them that he isn’t completely disappearing.
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“But I am not going away – I will be serving as an advisor for the team and will be available to help wherever I can.
“While you might see me less at the racetrack, know that my passion for the sport and my support for our team, and its people, will remain unwavering.”
Where does the Andretti operation go next?
With Michael now serving as an advisor, the team could be headed in a new direction – after all, they haven’t won any IndyCar championships in 12 years.
Their driver line-up will remain the same for 2025, as Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson, and Linus Lundqvist remain with the team.
Herta finished second in the drivers’ championship this season but will be aiming to go one step further at the next attempt.
All it may take is a little more consistency and raw speed to enable him to challenge the imperious Alex Palou.
His Spanish rival has claimed three of the last four titles and shows no signs of wanting to slow down any time soon for Chip Ganassi Racing.