BIOGRAPHY
		Full Name	Mario Gabriele Andretti
		Nationality	American
		Born	28 February 1940, Montona
		Son	Michael Andretti
		Website	Official Website
		Twitter	@marioandretti
		Instagram	@andrettimario

Biography

The word ‘legend’ is sometimes bandied around too much in motorsport, but in the case of Mario Andretti, this term would be a gross understatement to his illustrious achievements.

There are few drivers before, and even fewer since, who have tasted success across such a wide range of motorsport championships in a racing career spanning five decades.  A four-time USAC and IndyCar champion, a Formula 1 World Champion, a winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, Sebring 12 Hours, Daytona 500, and Pikes Peak Hill Climb – the list of achievements is seemingly endless.

Andretti was born during World War II in what is now Croatia, fleeing with his parents and twin brother Aldo as poor immigrants to the United States.  His interest in motorsport was forged early in his childhood, having visited the Monza circuit and idolised the great Alberto Ascari.

As soon as they were old enough, he and Aldo started competing in sprint and midget racing.  His first notable win came in 1962 and he was a regular victor thereafter.

In 1964 he made his USAC debut, and scored his first major win in 1965 en route to claiming the first of his four USAC / IndyCar championship titles at the age of just 25.  He earned ‘Rookie of the Year’ honours at that year’s Indianapolis 500 with a third-place finish.  Another eight victories in 1966 saw him claim back-to-back USAC crowns.

Showcasing his multidisciplinary skills, he won the first of three Sebring 12 Hour crowns in 1967, sharing a Ford GT40 with Bruce McLaren.  He also entered and won the Daytona 500, while only bad luck prevented him from winning the 1967 and 1968 USAC titles, finishing runner-up in both seasons.

His dream of Grand Prix racing came in 1968 with an opportunity to drive for Team Lotus at Monza.  He qualified an impressive eleventh-fastest but was unable to take the start due to a clashing race commitment in the USA.  Next time out at his home event at Watkins Glen, he sensationally qualified on pole position.

Continued USAC racing clashes limited his opportunities beyond a handful of outings over the next two seasons with Lotus (1969) and March (1970).  He was also earning plaudits in endurance racing, claiming a second Sebring 12 Hours win for the factory Ferrari team in 1970.

That earned him an F1 call-up with the Italian outfit for 1971, posting the fastest lap en route to victory in his debut race for the team in South Africa.  He continued to divide his time between USAC and sports car racing that year, enjoying particular success in the latter by claiming four wins in the 312P alongside Jacky Ickx.

The 1973 and 1974 years were largely spent Stateside, racing selected USAC events while also competing in the local Formula 5000 championship. He finished runner-up in both years, while three wins propelled him to the 1974 USAC National Dirt Racing Championship title.

He stayed with the Parnelli F5000 operation in 1975, and despite being consistently the quickest driver in the field he again finished runner-up in the standings.  That year saw him lead Parnelli’s tilt at Formula 1, but after little success the outfit sudden withdrew early in the 1976 season.

He had opened the 1976 Formula 1 season with Team Lotus, but was so spooked by its 77 chassis that he vowed never to drive it again.  Without a drive thanks to Parnelli’s departure, Lotus founder Colin Chapman convinced Andretti to return, believing that he could revive the team’s fortunes and turn the car into a race-winner.  Their efforts worked, with Andretti claiming victory at the end of the season in torrential conditions at Fuji.

Chapman pioneered ‘ground effect’ technology in 1977 with the introduction of the type 78 chassis.  Andretti was often the driver to beat in terms of sheer speed and despite claiming four victories he only finished third in the standings thanks to too many engine failures and a few tangles with rival drivers.

He made no such mistake the following year and was all but unstoppable once the 79 chassis was introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix.  He qualified the iconic black-and-gold car on the front row for ten successive Grands Prix – seven of these from pole position – and won six races by the Dutch Grand Prix.  He and his number-two teammate Ronnie Peterson were all but unstoppable, and what should have been a triumphant title celebration at Monza was blackened by the Swedish driver’s death following complications after his start-line crash.

His title defence in 1979 was hindered by Chapman pushing the envelope too far with the type 80 chassis, which only ran for a handful of races.  Andretti persevered, typically finishing in the points if his car held together.

With rival outfits having made more progress with ‘ground effect’ technology, Lotus seemingly stood still.  The 1980 season was even worse, with Andretti scraping a single point in the final race at Watkins Glen.

Sentiment as much as anything saw him join the factory Alfa Romeo team for 1981.  The partnership started well with fourth place first time out at Long Beach, but Andretti would not grace the points again all season as the inadequacies of the car were laid bare.  Despite outpacing young teammate Bruno Giacomelli for much of the year, the Italian outscored the veteran thanks to a podium finish at the Caesars Palace Grand Prix.

Hating the ‘ground effect’ cars, Andretti opted for a full-time return to IndyCar racing for 1982.  Driving for Patrick Racing, he finished third in the standings although victory proved elusive.

After a one-off Formula 1 outing for Williams at Long Beach when Carlos Reutemann suddenly retired from racing, Andretti returned again to F1 competition later that year when Ferrari needed a driver to replace the injured Didier Pironi.  Aged 42, he incredibly put the car on pole at Monza, however, a sticking throttle saw him finish third.

Thereafter, Andretti was a fixture in the IndyCar Series, racing for twelve successive seasons with the Newman/Haas Racing stable. While he wouldn’t win another title after the 1984 season, he remained competitive well into his fifties. He treated the 1994 season as an extended farewell tour, pulling down the curtain on his 407-race IndyCar career with an incredible record of 52 wins.

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