Mario Andretti (b. 1940)

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Biography

Mario Gabriele Andretti is an American former racing driver 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.

Timeline

The story of Mario Andretti, told in moments.

1969 Event

Wins the Indianapolis 500. He leads 116 of 200 laps. It's the only Indy 500 win of his career. He tries for decades to win it again. Second place, mechanical failures, bad luck. That one victory is all he gets.

Was the Indy 500 win the peak or the beginning of frustration? Did decades of trying to win it again feel like obsession? Is one victory at Indianapolis enough for a lifetime?

1978 Event

Wins the Formula One World Championship driving for Lotus. He takes six wins in a season. An American F1 champion is rare. An Italian-born refugee who raced in both IndyCar and F1 at the highest level is unprecedented.

How do you become F1 World Champion as an American? Were six wins in a season the proof you needed? Was racing in both IndyCar and F1 unprecedented or just ambitious?

1993 Life

Makes a one-off return to Formula One at age 53, substituting for the injured Ayrton Senna at McLaren. Qualifies third. Finishes third in practice. Retires from the race with electrical problems. He's over 50 and still competitive against drivers half his age.

Was qualifying third at 53 a statement or just Tuesday? Did substituting for Ayrton Senna feel like an honor? What does being competitive against drivers half your age prove?

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