It’s ludicrous to think that Andretti could just waltz in and be competitive.
Nobody is ever going to be super successful in their first season (BrawnGP built on Honda’s work). Of course there is going to be a learning curve. FOM are basically demanding that Andretti-GM run an entire F1 operation in parallel to the official competition, build up talent and expertise, become super competitive without being an engine customer, and wait until the 2028 regulation when the anti dilution fee will be several billions. Joining and being a backmarker for a couple of seasons is fine for every sane person.
Nobody is ever going to be super successful in their first season (BrawnGP built on Honda’s work). Of course there is going to be a learning curve. FOM are basically demanding that Andretti-GM run an entire F1 operation in parallel to the official competition, build up talent and expertise, become super competitive without being an engine customer, and wait until the 2028 regulation when the anti dilution fee will be several billions. Joining and being a backmarker for a couple of seasons is fine for every sane person.