Mario Andretti yearns for Formula 1 return

Sometimes you miss being on the road and being part of the old gang. That certainly appears to be the case as far as Mario Andretti is concerned. In a wide-ranging Motor Sport interview available as a podcast via our website and YouTube channel, the 83-year-old confirms that he’s backing his son Michael in his bid to become the 11th team on the Formula 1 grid. The reason is not simply fatherly support but a wish to be a part of a race team again and see the world.

“Motor racing is our life,” Mario told us. “We have nothing else. That’s the way we’ve fed our families from day one. I want [for] the rest of my life to enjoy going to Formula 1. I want Michael to be able to provide that for me. That’ll give me a reason to travel the world again.”

The interview is the first in a new podcast series featuring major interviews with the greats of our sport. Future interviews, which will be released monthly on the day each magazine goes on sale include Emerson Fittipaldi and Jody Scheckter and form part of our ongoing centenary celebrations.