Mario Andretti

Biography

The arrival in the United States

After having spent many years in a refugee camp to Italy (the area where she lived was indeed annexed to the Yugoslavia the shortly after the second world war), the Andretti family obtains in 1955 her license of immigration towards the United States and leaves to live with Nazareth, in Pennsylvania. Impassioned automobile sport (in Italy, they had in particular attended with GP of Italy and the Thousand Miles), Mario Andretti and her twin brother Aldo remain in contact with the cars since they obtain a work in a garage. Quickly, they manage to sufficient put money on side to be offered to their majority their first car and to take part in local competitions of stock car. Mario and Aldo Andretti are not long in forging a reputation of true terrors of the circuits.

Success on all fronts

Following a serious accident of Aldo, obliged to put a premature term at her career incipient from pilot, Mario continues her rise as a recluse. In 1964, it integrates the rows of the championship USAC of single-seater. Then the following year, whereas it finally obtained American nationality, it finishes 3rd 500 Miles of Indianapolis for its very first participation. Become as well as A.J. Foyt the reference of the American races, Andretti gains title USAC in 1965 and 1966.

Eclectic pilot, it also shines in other disciplines since in 1967, it is essential on the 12 hours of Sebring (test of Endurance) and with the Daytona 500 (test of stock car). The year 1968 is also the occasion for Mario to carry out her beginnings in the championship of the world of Formule 1. In September, it is called by the stable Lotus to dispute GP of Italy to Monza. Bobby Unser, its large rival of the USAC, must also begin in F1 this same day on a BRM. After first convincing tests Friday, the two men take again the plane for the United States in order to dispute there the Hoosier 100, a prestigious test of sprint-because. Of return in extremis in Italy for the Grand Prix of F1 Sunday morning, they are seen refusing the departure by the organizers who doubt their physical condition after such a tour and can be based on a point of the payment prohibiting to less take part in a race than 24 hours before a Grand Prix. The two Americans defer their beginnings in F1 to the GP of the United States with Watkins Glen a few weeks later. For its first weekend " complet" in F1, Andretti creates sensation by taking down the pole position.

In 1969, Mario gains its third championship USAC, after having in particular gained the 500 Miles of Indianapolis. It will be the only victory of Mario in the famous test, as well as the starting point of a kind of curse for the Andretti family in Indianapolis.

The dedication Formulates 1 of them

After its first experiment in Formula 1 in 1968, Andretti finds part-time the championship of the world in 1969 (at Lotus), in 1970 (at March) and in 1971 and 1972 (at Ferrari). In 1971, it gains even for Scuderia the first Grand Prix of the season in South Africa, its first success in F1

In 1973 and 1974, Andretti reconcentre on the American races since it disputes the championship of Formule 5000 within the stable of the old driver Parnelli Jones. This last dream of Formula 1 and manages to convince its pilot to follow it in the adventure. Starting from the end 1974, Mario Andretti thus turns over Formulates 1 of them. But the Parnelli epopee turns quickly to the disaster. The results do not come and the cases of the stable are emptied. At the beginning of 1976 at the end of some races, the team Parnelli F1 must give up, which makes it possible Andretti to join Lotus.

It is only with one certain reserve that Andretti engages with the famous British stable: having benefitted from the fixed price of Parnelli to the very first GP of the season, Andretti had already carried out a race at the wheel of the Lotus at the time of the GP of Brazil 1976 and had been able to measure the low level of competitiveness of cars Chapman the Hake. The future however will give reason to the American pilot. At the end of 1976, Andretti gains the last GP of the season, in Japan under the rain. And especially, in 1977, Colin Chapman leaves the Lotus 78, remained in the history like first F1 “wing-because”, i.e. a single-seater designed in the shape of wing of plane reversed, which confers a frightening handling to him. With 4 successes, Mario Andretti seems the strong man of the championship of the world 1977 and seems a long time able to hang the world title, but the low reliability of its Ford engine does not enable him to resist Niki Lauda over the duration of the season. At the wheel of the Lotus 79, it takes its revenge in 1978, at the end of an imperial domination. The world sacring of Mario Andretti is however tarnished by the death of its fellow-member and friendly Ronnie Peterson of the continuations of a pile-up to the beginning of the GP of Italy, the very same day where Andretti makes sure of its title.

The world title of Andretti is accommodated with a spirit moderated by the observers. Much agrees to think that it owes primarily its success with the broad superiority of its machine. Others also regret that its fellow-member Ronnie Peterson, considered as one of the best pilots of his generation and probably faster than Andretti, was not able to dispute this success, held to him that it was by a rather strict statute of second pilot within the Lotus team. For the credit of Andretti, it is advisable however to note that, very famous pilot for his technical direction, it is him which since 1976 had ensured the development of the concept of the `' wing because”, and taken part thus largely in the rectification of a team which was with lowest on her arrival.

In 1979 and 1980, the Lotus lose their advantage, competition being itself in its turn launched on the way of the ground effect. Little with its advantage, Andretti leaves Lotus to join Alfa Romeo in 1981, without hardly more success. Without regular wheel in 1982, it carries out a first interim at Williams at the beginning of season (in the place of Carlos Reutemann) then a second at Ferrari at the end of the season (in the place of Didier Pironi). In Monza, amazed Andretti observers by signing the pole position then while finishing on the podium.

End of a career

As from 1983, Mario goes back to the United States to dispute the championship CART there. Within the new stable Newman-Haas (founded in particular by the former actor Paul Newman), it gains the title in 1984. On the decline starting from the end of the year 1980 (it undergoes in particular the hard competition of its sons Michael and Jeff, as well as its nephew John) it leaves the CART at the conclusion of the season 1994. It then counts 507 departures in the tests of IndyCar style.

The page of the single-seater thus turned, Mario decides to set out again with the attack 24 hours of Mans, only test absent from its prize list. He thus hopes to become the second pilot after Graham Hill to carry out the triplet " Indianapolis 500 - Championship of F1 - 24 hours of Mans". Third of the test in 1983 (with his/her Michael son like team-member), it passes near to the victory in 1995, but must be satisfied with the second place of a race that him and its team should never have lost. Mario will return last once in the Sarthe in 2000, at the 60 years age, for a not very convincing service.

In 2003, Mario Andretti briefly comes out from her retirement at the time of the tests of the 500 Miles Indianapolis. At the wheel of an Dallara-Honda of the stable Co-directed by his Michael son, it plans to take part in the qualifications, to see with the race, but an appalling accident which has occurred at a meeting of free tests (its car took off on remains and carried out a series of loops before falling down on its wheels, without damage for its pilot) encourages it not to prolong the experiment.

See too

Michael Andretti and Jeff Andretti, its sons
John Andretti, his nephew
Marco Andretti, its Pilot grandson
of Formula 1: classification per year
Pilot of Formula 1: classification by better Pilot turns
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot podiums
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot poles position
of Formula 1: classification by Pilot victories
of Formula 1: classification by hat tricks

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