Marco Andretti

Did anyone else read the article where Mario and Michael Andretti have argued over the future of Marco, whether to head towards Formula 1 or stay in open wheel oval racing here in the states? Obviously Michael won that arguement. What kind of wacky thinking is that on his part? Just because he couldn't make a go of it he discourages the chance for his son? I've never been a big fan of Michaels and this makes it even less so for me. Not a fan of open wheel cars on ovals either.

 

The reality is, Michael's going to have to let Marco decide.

 

At Marco's age all options are obviously still open. He's progressed very quickly, considering he was in Pro Mazda last year.

Gary

 

I didn't see it, but it sounds to me that micheal is worried that he will be the only one who hasn't been successful in F1. Plain and simple he is just jealous. On the other hand two Americans in F1? Has that ever happened before? It would definately be cool to see.


EDIT: The andretti's fielded an F1 team before, i beleive, so im sure it wouldn't be too hard to get marco in on a decent mid pack team. The only thing he needs is some more experience. I don't think he has really raced in europe, to the likes of SS.

 

Consider that Michael wants to see Marco get some experience under his belt where both he and grandpa can be there to watch and advise. I don't think it has anything to do with jealousy, that is actually kind of a silly thought, not sure why anyone would even go that route. Are any of you actually privy to the conversations between Michael, Mario, and Marco??

Michael didn't fail in F1 because of a lack of ability.

There is nothing wrong with Marco winning in the IRL, and THEN trying his hand at F1, if that is what he wants for himself. Besides, Marco will earn a whole more money doing well in IRL than to struggle with the likes of the various formula series in Europe that may lead to F1.

I think he will do just fine with his father's advise.

 

Not the way I remember it. Michael drove for McLaren, Mario for Lotus and Ferrari, neither one owned an F1 team.

Gary

 

Alright ill play devil's advocate here.

Are you kidding? it was a total lack of ability, he was in the same car senna won the championship in and he was finishing mid pack to podium while senna was winning.

excerpt from Grandprix.com:"At the start of 1989 he joined his father in the Newman/Haas team. He was championship runner-up in 1990, won the title in 1991 and was runner-up again the next year. He first tested an F1 McLaren in 1991 and in 1993 he was signed by the McLaren team to partner Ayrton Senna. He never got to grips with his new challenge. Shortage of pre-season testing in a year when the sport's rule-makers imposed a limit to the number of practice laps hardly helped Michael who was hampered by seemingly endless spins and minor collisions."

As much as i want to see and be proud of how well americans do in open wheel racing, moicheals performance in f1 was nothing short of pathetic.

 

Incidentally, Marco has qualfied 3rd for tomorrow's Watkins Glen event.

Gary

 

Nobody's slouching

- Mario - http://andretti.com/content/view/209/73/
- Michael - http://andretti.com/Michael
- Jeff - http://andretti.com/Jeff
- Marco - http://andretti.com/Marco

 

Michael's problem is that he wasn't fully committed to staying in Europe. He insisted on jetting back to the U.S. (via Concorde) between every race. If he had stayed full time over there, like Scott Speed has, I think he would have done much better.

I think Marco's time in F1 will come, and that he will be reasonably successful. And as for multiple Americans in F1, that happened a lot in the '50s and '60s. In fact, I think that Ginther, Gurney and Phil Hill were all on the Ferrari factory team at the same time; am I correct? And Ronnie Bucknum was in F1 as Ginther's teammate at Honda in the mid-'60s.

 

Close. Ginther and Hill drove for Ferrari in '60 and '61. Gurney drove for the Scuderia in '59, but went to BRM for '60, and Porsche in '61 and '62.

Gary

 

i am hoping that marco goes to f1, as good as hes doing he will only continue to get better

 

micheals advent into racing had nothing to do with talent but more of opportunity. racing talent is not inherited.

italian gp 1993, michaels last race...........test driver mika hakkinen takes over his seat AND OUT QUALIFIES TEAM MATE AYRTON SENNA at spa.

marco is talented however. i loved that he said- post indy...'bringing 2nd is nothing' (or words to that effect).

 

Here's a nice article about Marco and F1 with comments from both Mario and Michael... http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-hinton02jun02,0,3624057.column

 

Again with this same dips*** arguement we've all had a thousand times. I won't even get too far into that again, but Senna didn't win the championship that year. Alain Prost won it in the Williams. How can you even compare Andretti with Senna who had been in F1 for 10 years at that time and on that team for 6 years? To think Andretti would have been anywhere near as good in his first year is unrealistic. Period. If i remember right, he wasn't too far off Senna on a couple of occasions.

 

EDDIE CHEEVER MUST DIE!

- Watkins Glen, 2006

 

I always liked Eddie but he really pulled a bone head move.

 

Was a big Mario fan growing up. Had a model of His JPS Lotus F1 Car on my shelves as a kid...

Never liked Michael... not sure why. Just always rubbed me the wrong way. Still does.

If marco wants to tackle F1 I hope he spends enough time in GP2 to learn the courses, or gets himself a job as a test driver first. Unfortunately, I have a sneaking suspicion that Dad will want him to start with a top team race seat, and he will fail because of it.

 

You and I are two of the few who ever liked Eddie. I agree about today's events. Re: his move on Marco, there's no excuse. He either did it intentionally or he was unaware of the situation on the track. Either way, it's a message that he should finally hang it up. This time, for good.

I think Marco is a great prospect for F1. I got to see Mario drive two of his greatest races, leading the Belgian GP from start to finish in his championship year, and winning both heats of the bizarre Questor GP (anybody here remember that one? F1 vs. F5000) back in 1971 in a Ferrari 312B.

 

I guess DNA sometimes skips a generation.
Mario was a wonderful driver in every type of car and he achieved the pinnacle of racing, winning the F1 world championship. He raced like every race meant he could eat for another day. Mario is my hero.
Michael came into F1 as a rich, spoiled brat. He had no concept of the word team and literally abandoned his team to run home to mommy after each race. Never liked him, never will. There's just something wrong with a pudgy F1 driver.
I want to like Marco. In fact his comment that 2nd place means nothing says to me that he is driven and competitive. For Mario's sake I'd like to see Marco climb to the pinnacle of F1 as well. Michael should just head to the nearest Krispy Creme store and do what makes him happy.

 

I do completely disagree with you.

F1 is mostly politics, less substance. Michael had the ability, he would never had the ride to begin with, but he and especially his wife at the time became politically incorrect. If you are not on the correct side of a team's synergy, you will not win a race. Michaels other problem, part of that wife at the time issue, is that he chose to live in the USA and commute to the F1 circus. That is not a wise move if you wish to receive the attention and respect of your team. He did better in his first year than some that went on to be World Champion. Schecter for example, wrecj=ked many a car before settling into a pattern.

Unfortunetly, after the F1 debacle is when he dumped that wife. This may sound trite, but it is a fact.

 

Well regardless of if he stayed in and how good his first year was he didn't, so im beginning to realize this is a pointless arguement.

on the other hand....What the hell was cheever thinking today? That was a fantastic race, im not going to go so far as to call him an idiot but it seems like his age has caught up to him and he doesn't have the ability to keep up.

Also ABC needs to get new anouncer's, who the hell was the bone head who said marco should pull back form passing the way slower car's? what a dope, that guy should be fired! Then he asked micheal that marco should slow it down and mciheal replies with" he's doing what he should" Fecking knob head, what a tool...

 

At the time even Sports Illustrated had an article about the European press refering to his wife as Dasey May and her being peod about the lack of cheeseburgers in Europe.

 

Jack, my best racing memories were watching Mario at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America. The guy was amazing, a true modern day gladiator. In 1978, at the request of Carl Haas, Mario drove a Can Am race at Road America, filling in for another injured driver (I think it was Tambay). Anyway, my brother and I talked with Mario for an hour while he ate lunch at a bar and grill in Elkhart Lake, WI.

I've always been jealous of Michael because he is my age and has had much handed to him, quite the opposite of his father. Mario was, and is, my hero -- self made, intense, brave, accomplished in business, and much more than a race car driver, a Renaissance man.

I think I want to see Marco succeed because I want to see another Mario, but sadly that will never happen.

 

This is why I don't keep a sledgehammer near TVs.