Mario Andretti had won the 1978 Formula One World Drivers' Championship with Team Lotus, giving the Andretti family a longstanding connection to the sport. In the years before the bid, Andretti Autosport's parent organization reportedly explored purchasing Formula One constructors Sauber or Haas, but negotiations on both fronts proved unsuccessful.
In 2022, Michael Andretti filed a formal application with the FIA to enter Formula One in 2024, having arranged a deal to acquire engines from Renault. The FIA responded that it was not actively seeking to expand the grid. Several existing team principals expressed opposition: Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Alfa Romeo team principal Frederic Vasseur argued that a new entrant should represent a major car manufacturer bringing genuine added value. Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner raised concerns about profit distribution. Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll initially expressed support but later changed his position. McLaren CEO Zak Brown was among the more consistent advocates for the bid, saying that teams opposing entry were being short-sighted.
In 2023, Michael Andretti announced a partnership with General Motors, rebranding the Formula One bid under the Cadillac marque. McLaren and Renault/Alpine agreed to support the bid. The announcement did not specify whether Cadillac would produce its own power unit or rebadge an existing manufacturer's engine. The FIA approved the application, but the Formula One Group declined it, stating a preference for a team with a GM power unit entering either as a GM works team or as a GM customer team. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed public surprise at the adverse reaction from the commercial rights holder.
The Andretti family sold the team to TWG Global, the holding company of Los Angeles Dodgers lead owner and Chelsea F.C. co-owner Mark Walter. Following that ownership change and confirmation from General Motors that it would enter as an engine supplier at a later date, the FIA approved the Andretti-GM entry for the 2026 season. The team hired Graeme Lowdon as team principal and arranged for Ferrari to supply engines on a temporary basis until the GM power unit would be ready. The racing organization also rebranded from Andretti Autosport to Andretti Global in contemplation of the Formula One programme.
The bid became a high-profile test case for the governance relationship between the FIA and the Formula One commercial rights holder, raising questions about which body held effective authority over grid expansion. The eventual approval marked the first new Formula One constructor entry in over a decade and the first American-fronted team to join the grid in the modern commercial era.