Texans know a thing or two about standing tall in the face of adversity. Our heritage is built on resilience, and instilled inside us is a fierce spirit of competition. Our great state also has a long history of celebrating professional motorsports with the roaring engines at the Texas Motor Speedway and the electrifying races at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin.
That’s why Liberty Media’s rejection of Mario Andretti’s application to join the global motorsports Formula One (F1) series is a grave injustice. By doing so, they’ve shown blatant disrespect toward the racing legend, leaving Texans feeling insulted and betrayed.
The state of Texas has invested millions of taxpayer dollars to host Formula One races. As the owner of the Formula One Group, Liberty Media dons their cowboy hats and enjoys Texas hospitality in its purest form every year. Yet, when it comes to welcoming an iconic American team, Liberty Media shuts the door and turns its back on the very fans who support the sport.
It denies not only the legacy of the Andretti name but also Andretti’s monumental partnership with General Motors, a cornerstone of American automotive excellence. Lastly, and perhaps worst of all, Liberty Media denies a promising pipeline of American racing talent and engineering innovation that only stands to enrich the sport.
Many of us in Texas and across the country cannot help but ask, why? Why is Formula One so eager to expand its reach in the United States yet restricts American participation
