"I will be cheering for you!" says Michael Andretti as F1 bid looks set to go ahead without him.

Weeks after it was announced that he was "stepping back" at Andretti Global, to take on an ambassadorial and advisory role with the outfit he founded in 2002, it looks as though Michael Andretti's hard-fought bid to enter the sport has succeeded... albeit without his involvement.

Almost from the moment he disappeared into the shadows and Dan Towriss emerged as the new boss, relations between the American hopefuls and F1 have thawed, to the point that yesterday it was revealed that former engine partner, GM/Cadillac is set to line up on the grid in 2026... with Mario Andretti a director on the team board.

As it happens, Michael Andretti's stepping down was followed shortly after by the news that Liberty Media CEO, Greg Maffei is following suit, though this is thought to be related to a dispute with (Liberty boss) John Malone over the purchase of MotoGP and unrelated to the Andretti bid.

Taking to social media, Michael welcomed the latest news.

"The Cadillac F1 Team is made up of a strong group of people that have worked tirelessly to build an American works team," he wrote. "I'm very proud of the hard work they have put in and congratulate all involved on this momentous next step. I will be cheering for you!"

Clearly young Andretti was a major stumbling block in the process leaving many to wonder why.

There is much speculation over the situation, and while some believe F1's stance may have changed in light of the ongoing investigation by the US department of justice, Pitpass hears that Andretti himself is currently under scrutiny in what is believed to be a case relating to intellectual property.