Mario Andretti, 1978 Formula 1 World Champion, shares his story in an exclusive interview—from a refugee camp in Italy to the pinnacle of global motorsport.
“I started racing in 1959 and did my last professional race in 2000, at Le Mans. That was my career—a dream come true for me. “. These words from Mario Andretti sum up both his career and the man behind one of the greatest drivers of all time—a man who turned an “impossible dream,” born in refugee camps in Italy and the grandstands of Monza, into a reality filled with countless victories across Europe and America.
In this exclusive interview, Andretti takes us on a journey through his memories: his childhood in Montona with his twin brother Aldo, the arrival in America and the early illegal races in Nazareth, the glory in Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and beyond. With clarity and passion, “Piedone” tells his story between Italy and America—the encounters with Enzo Ferrari and Colin Chapman, the tragedy of Ronnie Peterson, and the pride of building a racing dynasty with his family.
A journey that spans eras, tracks, categories, and continents—always driven by the same unquenchable fire: a love for speed.
How are you? You’ve just come back from the Indy 500.
“I’m feeling great health-wise. As for the Indy 500, it was a bit disappointing, but we made up for it the following week in Detroit with first and third place finishes. The team is solid—in short, we’re competitive.”
You won the Indy 500. What does it feel like to win a race that is considered one of the most important in motorsport?
“It changes your life for the better. It’s like winning a championship here in America: it has such a rich tradition, having been held for 109 years.”
Let’s take a look back at your career and life beyond motorsport. You were born in Montona, which was part of Italy at the time, then moved to Lucca in the refugee camps before relocating to the United States. It was in Montona, with your twin brother Aldo, that you began building small wooden cars and started racing. How did your passion for cars begin?
“I don’t really know why: my father wasn’t interested; I had an uncle, Bruno, who was always riding a motorcycle. My true passion began when we moved to Lucca because we were a bit older and saw how popular Formula 1 was in the 1950s: Farina won the very first race ever, Alberto Ascari became world champion with Ferrari, and there were manufacturers like Maserati. It was all very appealing to us.” At the age of eleven or twelve, we started dreaming. Then some friends took us to the 1954 Monza Grand Prix when we were fourteen. Watching the race like that sparked the impossible dream of becoming drivers—a dream that became a bit more real when we moved to America because there were more opportunities. Two years after arriving in America, we began building a car to race near our home. There was a dirt track, which was very popular at the time, with races every week. We started racing right there in Nazareth in 1959, at the age of nineteen. It wasn’t legal for us—we were too young; you had to be twenty-one due to insurance and other rules. So we lied, saying we had experience in Formula Junior with Stanguellini in Italy. We were accepted. Aldo won the first race, and I won the second. It was a fantastic debut, and that’s how it all started for me. I began racing in 1959 and competed in my last professional race in 2000 at Le Mans. That was my career—a dream come true for me. .
You started racing with your brother Aldo, hiding it from your father Gigi because of the dangers involved.
“Yes, my father didn’t want us to race because motorsport was extremely dangerous: the month before we left for America, our idol Alberto Ascari died during practice at Monza, and at Le Mans, eighty-five spectators lost their lives—all while we were on the Conte Biancamano crossing the Atlantic. We were only able to keep it hidden because he didn’t understand English and couldn’t read what the newspapers wrote when we won races. He only found out about my involvement when Aldo had a bad crash in the final race of the season.”
Aldo later recovered but retired from racing in 1969 after another accident. How did you experience those years in terms of safety, and what was it like to see your brother—who shared this journey with you—having to give up your shared dream?
“Aldo was very sad; he shared the same love for driving that I had. But I never focused on the negatives—I just kept pushing forward no matter what. Not only Aldo, but many of our friends lost their lives during those times. Back then, our sport was extremely dangerous—there was little safety in the circuits or in the cars. Gradually, things improved, and today drivers can retire whenever they want.”
So you kept racing on dirt tracks, then moved to Champ Car (now IndyCar), and immediately won the championship as a rookie in America in 1965. At the end of the year, you appeared on Johnny Carson’s show, where you were introduced as the “Rookie of the Year” —and not as the series champion, which bothered you a bit. In general, have you ever felt that your achievements were sometimes underestimated?
“Yes, in 1965 I finished third at Indianapolis behind Jim Clark and Parnelli Jones, and by the end of the year, I was thrilled to have won the national championship. I was the youngest at the time, having won at just twenty-five years old. And as you said, at the end of the year, I was invited to Johnny Carson’s very popular TV show, where he introduced me as ‘Rookie of the Year’ at Indianapolis, never once mentioning that I had won the championship. That made me realize how important that race was—the most important in the series. And yes, I was a bit upset. Regarding my career, I knew what truly mattered, even if the press only focused on Indianapolis. My goal was to make it to Formula 1 and see if I could achieve something there.”.
Then, you went on to win two more IndyCar championships, and in 1968 you made your Formula One debut at Watkins Glen, immediately claiming pole position with Lotus. What emotions did you experience?
“I was thrilled to have the chance to drive a Lotus, a competitive car. My debut was actually supposed to be at Monza two weeks earlier—I did the first practice sessions and was pleasantly surprised, having never had the opportunity to test a Formula One car before. It was much more agile than what I was used to driving. Securing my first pole position on a track I didn’t know, ahead of future world champion Jackie Stewart, was unexpected but an important moment—it made me realize I was ready for F1.”
Three years later, in 1971, you won your first race in South Africa with Ferrari, at the season’s opening round. What did it feel like to win in F1 with Ferrari, as an Italian and someone who idolized Ascari?
“It means everything. My greatest dream, like that of every driver, was always Ferrari. Having this opportunity was very important, especially since I already knew everyone, like engineer Forghieri, because I had previously raced Ferraris in sports prototypes. Winning my first race in a Ferrari is something that still means a lot to me today.”
In 1978, you won the World Championship with Lotus at Monza—the same weekend your teammate and friend Ronnie Peterson suffered a fatal accident. You said you would have given up the victory just to have him back. What did you feel?
“It could have been the happiest moment of my career, but I couldn’t celebrate. I had lost my teammate and a dear friend—our families were always together. It was like losing a brother.” .
In 1979, you realized after just a few races that there was little chance to fight for the championship. In 1980, you scored only one point in the final race of the season. How did it feel not being able to defend your title?
“As far as Lotus was concerned, we saw that other teams had more opportunities to develop ground effect, and I was really sorry that Lotus engineers hadn’t improved the situation like the others. The car just wasn’t competitive. I could have chosen to go to McLaren or Alfa Romeo, and I followed my heart by choosing Alfa Romeo—especially seeing that Bruno Giacomelli was leading the race at the last Grand Prix of the season before having an engine problem. So, it was a competitive car.” . However, there were issues with the regulations. Teams had to raise the car’s ride height, and as they entered and exited the pits, a device checked this. At the first race in Argentina, Brabham introduced a hydraulic system that allowed them to raise the car for the inspection and lower it afterward—they won the race by lapping everyone else. Everyone knew this was against the rules, but all teams except us had it. I was really sorry, but engineer Chiti said we couldn’t use it, and we struggled a lot that season despite knowing the car was competitive. In fact, during testing at Paul Ricard in June, I asked engineer Giovanni Marelli to set the car up like the others, and we were immediately competitive. It was a real shame—I would have liked to stay in Formula 1 for a couple more years, but in the end, I returned to America.
In 1982, you returned to Ferrari, replacing Didier Pironi. You immediately secured pole position at Monza.
“I hold that experience very dear; it’s a wonderful memory. I would have won the race if I hadn’t had a problem with the supercharger on the left bank of the engine, which broke with 5 or 6 laps to go. I was still lucky to make it onto the podium. It was a joyful moment because it meant so much to me—I had been out of Formula One for a year and had never driven turbo cars before. It was a completely different situation. I had tested at Fiorano the week before and felt very comfortable with the car; in fact, at the end of qualifying runs, I set the track record with the engine map. I felt really good going into Monza.”.
You worked with two of the most famous men in Formula 1: Colin Chapman at Lotus and Enzo Ferrari. What was your experience with them, and what differences did you notice?
“They both had the same great passion and will to win. If you’re lucky enough to be with them at the right time, you have a real chance to win the championship—like I experienced with Colin Chapman: when he was fully focused, you could truly win the world title. At Ferrari, on the other hand, you always had the opportunity because Ferrari was always at the top. Unfortunately for me, they invited me to drive for them full-time after I won my first race, but the contracts I had in America prevented me from doing so. By the time I was free, the seat was already taken. We simply didn’t have the opportunities at the right moments with either team.”.
During your long career, you raced alongside many drivers: who do you consider the strongest?
“There are too many to choose just one. I’ve been incredibly lucky to have raced alongside remarkable champions.”
Is there a driver in America who, in your opinion, deserves to be in Formula 1?
“Yes, I believe Colton Herta deserves it. He raced in Europe for five years starting when he was 16, and now he’s back in America racing with my son’s team. I’d love to see him in Formula 1. There are also other drivers in Indy NXT who could be considered. We’ll see when the time comes to officially decide who will be on the team.”
Speaking of your team, how did the idea come about to expand from America into Formula 1?
“The idea came from my son Michael. I never shared that same passion—driving was the only thing I loved about racing. I could have had a team myself, but I was never interested. Now, I’m involved in the sense that I offer advice in certain situations concerning the drivers, but officially, I don’t have a role that requires me to be at the headquarters every day.” .
Your son Michael runs Team Andretti and has raced himself, as have your son Jeff and your nephews John and Marco. How does it feel to see your family carrying on your passion?
“Pride. Michael had a great career as a driver, and in 1991 and 1992, we were the first family with four drivers—myself, my two sons Jeff and Michael, and my nephew John—to compete in the same CART season. We’re very proud of that.”
Speaking about your family, you met your wife when you were just over twenty because she was giving you English lessons. Since she wasn’t part of the racing world, what did she think about your profession? Was she afraid you might get hurt, like your father?
“The important thing wasn’t whether she had a passion for racing or not. She was often anxious, especially since the situation back then wasn’t as safe as it is today, and we were losing friends, as you’ve seen. I’m sure she went through some difficult moments worrying about me, but she always supported me, and that was incredibly important. She was a truly remarkable woman.”
You took pole position in Formula 1 as a young man and again at 42, won the IndyCar championship as the youngest ever at the time and again in your forties, and claimed your last victory at 53. What was your secret to staying competitive for so long?
For me, it was always about passion. What drove me was the love of driving a race car—something that’s always burned deeply in my heart. I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel every week, and it gave me complete satisfaction. I’d still do it today if I were a bit younger. Driving a race car meant everything to me. .
You raced in Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR, prototypes, Le Mans… Which category did you enjoy the most?
“Definitely single-seaters. I also really enjoyed racing in sports prototypes. As for NASCAR, I was very curious to see if I could do well—and winning the Daytona 500, their most important race, really surprised me. But I was competitive: I led 118 out of 200 laps. I had that opportunity, and I’m absolutely grateful for it.”
Which race or season are you most proud of?
“Winning the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. That was where my dream truly came full circle, because that’s where it all began. At the start, it felt like an impossible dream. I won championships in America, but this dream… I couldn’t have hoped for anything better.”
You said that if you hadn’t become a race car driver, you would have wanted to be a pilot.
“Yes, but honestly, I didn’t have a Plan B or C—only Plan A. If there had been a Plan B, it would have been aviation, because it’s always about speed. I have many friends who pursued that career, and we always talk about the same things; we get the same satisfaction from pushing something to the limit.”
Photo: Formula 1.com, Wikipedia, Pirelli, Red Bull