Insisting that his team will benefit the sport and the existing teams, Michael Andretti admits that he is at a loss to explain the opposition to his bid to enter F1.

The American was speaking after being given the all-clear by the FIA, but a definitive thumbs down by the majority of the existing outfits.

"It was very vigorous," he told Sky Sports, when asked about the selection process, "it was a very tough thing to go through for our team and I'm proud to say we came out on top in every category, and we're very proud of that.

"It definitely shows that we have the right to be here on the grid," he added, "and we're excited about that. We think we have something really to offer to Formula 1 fans."

Asked about the continuing opposition to his bid, he said: "I don't know. It's a mystery to me in some ways, why they're pushing back.

"They say we're slicing the pie," he continued, "but I think the point is, hopefully we bring in more than we're taking away, and we really believe that.

"There's a lot of companies that are not in the series right now that have already contacted us, that are quite interested and that once we get approval they want to talk to us," he added.

"If you look at the fan support on all of the surveys that have been done, we think that we're going to add to it, not take away."

While Formula One Management is now considering his bid, Andretti admits that he is pushing ahead with his plans, revealing that wind tunnel testing is about to get underway.

"At the moment we're still shooting for 2025," he replied, when asked when he hoped to line up on the grid. "Our car is actually going to be in a wind tunnel next week, so we have a car already built up in 2023 spec.

"We're flat out, we're building a team," he added. "At the moment it's 2025, could be 2026, but we'll see."

Asked about speculation that a potential engine supply deal with Alpine has run into trouble, he admitted: "Technically, that agreement ran out. But you know, once we've got approval, then that'll be fixed. We're not worried about that."

In terms of drivers, Andretti is confident that Colton Herta would fit the bill, subject to his gaining the requisite superlicence. Standing beside him, his father, the legendary Mario Andretti was keen to offer his services.

"Motor racing has been our life," said the 1978 world champion. "I'm so proud of Michael for his ambition, to be in all the major disciplines. That's it, that's how we make a living. I've been feeding my family through motor racing from day one, and that's how we go."

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