Mario Andretti

Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from 1968 to 1982, and IndyCar from 1964 to 1994. Andretti won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1978 with Lotus, and won 12 Grands Prix across 14 seasons. In American open-wheel racing, Andretti won four IndyCar National Championship titles and the Indianapolis 500 in 1969; in stock car racing, he won the Daytona 500 in 1967. In endurance racing, Andretti is a three-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Born in the Kingdom of Italy, Andretti and his family were displaced from Istria during the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus and eventually emigrated to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1955. He began dirt track racing with his twin brother Aldo four years later, with Andretti progressing to USAC Championship Car in 1964. In open-wheel racing, he won back-to-back USAC titles in 1965 and 1966, also finishing runner-up in 1967 and 1968. He also contested stock car racing in his early career, winning the 1967 Daytona 500 with Holman-Moody. He took his first major sportscar racing victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring that year with Ford. Andretti debuted in Formula One at the United States Grand Prix in 1968 with Lotus, where he qualified on pole position. He contested several further Grands Prix with Lotus in 1969, when he won his third USAC title and the Indianapolis 500. In 1970, Andretti took his maiden podium finish at the Spanish Grand Prix with STP, driving a privateer March 701. He signed for Ferrari that year, winning at Sebring again. Andretti took his maiden victory in Formula One at the season-opening South African Grand Prix in 1971, on debut for Ferrari. He took his third Sebring victory the following year. After part-time roles for Ferrari and Parnelli in 1972 and 1974, respectively, Andretti joined the latter full-time for 1975 after finishing runner-up in the SCCA Continental Championship. He moved back to Lotus in 1976, winning the season-ending Japanese Grand Prix and helping develop the 78. Andretti won four Grands Prix in 1977, finishing third in the World Drivers' Championship. He won the title in 1978 after achieving six victories, becoming the second World Drivers' Champion from the United States. After winless 1979 and 1980 campaigns with Lotus, he moved to Alfa Romeo in 1981. Following two fill-in appearances for Williams and Ferrari in 1982, Andretti retired from Formula One with 12 wins, 18 pole positions, 10 fastest laps and 19 podiums. Andretti returned to full-time IndyCar racing in 1982, placing third in the standings with Patrick, amongst winning the Michigan 500. After finishing third again with Newman/Haas in his 1983 campaign, he won his fourth IndyCar title in 1984, 15 years after the previous and his first sanctioned by CART. He won the Pocono 500 in 1986 and remained with Newman/Haas until 1994; his victory at Phoenix in 1993 made him the oldest winner in IndyCar history, aged 53, as well as the first driver to win a race in four different decades. Andretti retired with 52 wins, 65 pole positions, and 141 podiums in IndyCar. His 111 official victories on major circuits across several motorsport disciplines saw his name become synonymous with speed in American popular culture. His sons, Michael and Jeff, were both racing drivers, the former winning the CART title in 1991 and previously owning Andretti Global. Andretti is set to serve on the board of directors of Cadillac in Formula One from its debut 2026 season onwards. Andretti was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2000.