The FIA opened a can of worms when it announced a new procedure to get more teams on the grid, and now Michael Andretti has spoken up about the controversy for the first time.

In an interview with Forbes, he denied that the ties with Cadillac are merely a badging exercise. Andretti has provided a simple explanation that matches our initial assessment of the situation. "It's all about money," said Andretti. "First, they think they are going to get diluted one-tenth of their prize money, but they also get very greedy, thinking we will take all the American sponsors as well."

According to Andretti, it's all about greed and the teams looking after themselves rather than what may be best for the sport as a whole.

Andretti also confirmed who his allies on the grid are. We've known for a while now that McLaren's Zak Brown is a big supporter. "Zak wants to do whatever he can to help us get there, and so has Alpine," said Andretti. "Zak Brown and Alpine are two very good allies. Zak has been very supportive."

The support from McLaren and Alpine comes as a surprise, as Andretti Cadillac will likely compete in the midfield before aiming at the big boys like Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes-AMG.

We now also know where the deal with General Motors came from. Andretti Global and GM had been working on the contract for quite a while, but they decided to share the news as soon as the FIA announced the new expression of interest procedure.

"There is still a long way to go, and we are willing to follow every procedure that needs to be done. We are in a good position for it," said Andretti.

Andretti also admits that the team has spoken to F1 president Stefano Domenicali. He's one of the critical figures standing in Cadillac's way, but his reactions were positive. "Stefano was very happy when we brought up the name Cadillac," said Andretti. "It's going to be huge for Formula 1 as well. Formula 1 is growing so much in the United States, to bring General Motors and Cadillac into [the sport] was very big for all sides considered."

Andretti dispelled rumors about what engine the Cadillac entry would use. If the team hits the grid in 2025, it will have to source an engine from a rival, but Cadillac will be involved in manufacturing the engine.

"In 2026, there are various things we can do with another engine manufacturer. It would not be a badged engine because there would be intellectual property from Cadillac in that engine," said Andretti.

In short, Caddy will be partly responsible for the engine built to 2026 specifications. GM likely wants to use F1 as a marketing tool for products like the Lyriq, which is why Audi and Porsche are so keen to join the club.