Will An Andretti Return To F1?

I think it would be good for the sport to have another American in F1, especially from the Andretti family, but its a very tall task. Even taller for Marco not competing in the different formulas in Europe. But I guess we'll see in the next couple years.

Mark

 

I also read somewhere that another reason for Michael failing is that he didn"t live in Europe at the time when he was with McLaren. That makes it kind of tough if your racing in F1 and commuting from the States to Europe, no?

I hope Marco succeeds. As joker57676 said, it would be nice to have another American in F1 with a internationally well known name in racing.

 

That's the main reason he failed. His failure wasn't political at all. He simply couldn't drive. He wasn't willing to live in Europe and get some decent seat time. Showed up for the races only and then with a jet lag. No way to be competitive.

I'd love to see another American in F1, but one who is willing to make the commitment. And as luck would have it, there is one on the list: Speed!

 

How many have made the jump from IRL to F1?

Michael apparently loves Honda money more than he loves his son.

Best case would have been to have Al Unser III, Graham Rahal, and Marco to duke it out in Atlantics this year.

 

Lol, another debate on this damned subject. Michael couldn't get the seat time because of a change in the rules and McLaren's need to sign Mika in case Senna didn't come back. His living in the US didn't help but he was no wanker. I doubt Marco would ever go to F1 concidering his dad's experience there but you never know.

 

Please explain, I don't get it.

What rules would have prevented him from testing the car between the races like everybody else?

 

There was a limit on the amount of testing that a driver could do, a reduction of practice laps if i remember right. I'm looking now to see if i find the exact change.

 

Correct. He had very little testing time under the then-current Bernie the Whack Job set of rules.

However, the real problem was not lack of talent or seat time, but flying the Concorde back and forth every week so he didn't have to live in Europe wearing him out. No bond with the team (although it seems to work for Tony Stewart in NASCAR, lol) who loved Senna.

 

I would agree about Andretti not living and working in Europe being a problem... his father was born in Italy... so it was a bit easier for him to live there.... but Michael was a bit too much prima donna... I know a couple of the guys that were on the team at the time and they all said that he was a nice man, and very competent driver but there was just never any bond... Senna on the other hand had the whole team behind him...they worshiped him... I also think that Michael thought he would be much better than he was, and underestimated the effor needed to win.... I was just watching the 93 season yesterday... and he most of the time qualified on or near 6th or 7th... not bad as a rookie!

The other main problem as I remember was McLaren did not know which engine it would be using untill the last moment... I think they were talking to Renault, and trying to keep Honda from leaving... and Peugeot! yuck!!!... I think they were even talking with Yamaha...in any event that was why Senna did not confirm his contract, and Andretti really was screwed not only was there a ban on pre season testing and limits, but the car was not ready!... as I remember it was at South Africa when McLaren confirmed that Senna was driving!

 

I think the amount of testing laps you could do per GP weekend was reduced to something like 12, but don't quote me on that, I can't find the exact change, which didn't help Andretti at all. He didn't get too much outside testing because of the need to give Mika something to do for his money. He did seem really disconnected frrom the team but he always seemed disconnect from his teams, evwn during the Newman/Hass glory years. Oddly enough Senna seemed to really like michael and held a press conference of his own to announce that michael had been let go by the team. Also when Michael won in Australia the next year( beating Nigel Mansell in the rain by the way, so much for not being able to drive) the first call congratualting him was by Senna.

 

Exactly correct. Michael was a very good driver that because of circumstance (Rule Changes, McLaren Engine) and his own issues (Beyoch of a wife and a Refusal to live in Europe) jeopardized his own career in F1. He was very good in qualifying, but had problems at the start of the race. I hope to see Speed to well and hopefully someday an Andretti or Unser.

 

That's putting it mildly.

I remember doing bets with my buddies how far Michael would make it each race: Past the s/f line, to the first corner, to the second corner, to the end of the first lap?

I also remember all the Hakkinen fans boiling with anger as their man sat idle on the sideline while Michael screw up race after race.

Nigel Mansell came as F1 world champ to CART and won the series.
Michael Andretti came as CART champ to F1 and was sent home mid season.

Compare that to Mario Andretti. That's a whole different story.

 

Again a subject that has been touched on. Mansell, 1 Career win on a road course, the rest on ovals giving him the title, with a car developed by probably the greatest car set up man there was (Mario). Michael on his own with little or no testing and a team with an uncertain till the last minute lineup. Mansell the next year, left on his own in CART, didn't win a single race.
Mario, totaly different era, there's no real comparison. And Mario came in to F1 as a has been. Along with Colin Chapman who was in the same boat, brought the team back from the dead.

 

He also drove in 82 and helped Ferrari win the constructor's title. Starting from pole and snatching a podium in a car and an era that was all but foreign to him at that point.

 

While I agree that Michael made a mistake in not moving to Europe, to be fair it should be noted thatthe McLaren of 1993 was a fiendishly difficult car to drive. Senna could handle it, but then he was experienced. So the learning curve was very steep for Michael.

There was also some resentment among the other F1 drivers, as evidenced by the friendly "welcome to F1" jink he got at the start in Brazil (IIRC.) Surely we all rem that one: the driver on his left swerved at him for no particular reason except to intimidate him, and it worked a bit TOO well. Michael took avoiding action into the car on his right and cartwheeled them both into the barriers.

 

That was a massive hit that he got into with G. Beger if I remember correctly. It seemed he had big problems with the Austrians that year, because Karl Wedlinger had become his nemesis. Still I would take Michael head and shoulders over Wedlinger who didn't much.

 

Ironically Wendlinger's F1 career didn't last that much longer either. Terminated with his massive crash at Monaco in 94.

 

True enough but he had been in F1 at that point and at least had some prior experience. Plus, and this is just a hunch, I think there was less difference handling wise between a champcar/indycar and an F1 back then than there is now. Just a guess. Mario was always amazing at setting up a car and such, it's not surprizing that he would be able to do that in 82.

 

A couple of issues.... 1st regarding Mario and Lotus... yes its true that Lotus in the mid 70's were a bit in the doldrums... but Colin Chapman has to be rated as one if not the best designer in F-1 EVER! this guy either designed or supervised the designing of cars over 4 decades.... late 50's 60's 70's and 80's.... and he won in each of the decades.... he and Jim Clark should have won 2 more World Championships, .... Mario may have been a older when he won the W/C, but he was also concentrating from 76 - to 1979 he was predominatly in F-1... Mario has got to be the Worlds Greates Living Driver... he has won in almost every form of racing... F-1, F5000, CART, INDY, Sports Cars, Endurance, Dirt track, Nascar ( early 60's) sprints, midgets etc.... no body that I can think of has as much experience..... that is why when Michael went to F-1 I thought he would be a serious contender....I think he should have stuck it out, and he would have been a champion with Williams after Prost left!

I blame Michael for not having the nuts to stick it out! racing in europe is not at all what its like here.... in the USA its much more gentilman like... I did Winfield pilote Elf in 1990... and was blown away with how ruthless everyone was....the first day of "school" Simon de LaTour said " I dont care who is the best driver I only care who is the fastest! I expect you to take risks if you want to win!!!!... he could have cared less about safety!

any how thats why I'm in the Mortgage Business!

Tom

 

Tom, Michael was at McLaren not Williams. Unfortunately, Michael after finishing third at Monza in 93 was let go from McLaren for Mika. I too wished Michael could have stayed in F1 a bit longer.

Luis you maybe right regarding the F1 vs. Champcars of the late 70's and early 80's. Remember at the time both were using Ground Effects with Skirts. In fact Rick Mears did a test with Brahbam in California (I think Willow Springs) and was as fast Piquet had been in the BT-49. Regardless Mario was a far superior driver in my opinion than Michael.

 

Back to the original question. Marko has a great team. Did anyone see him race the support race at the USGP this year? He clearly was a head above the rest. I think he won wire to wire. Im guessing the Andretti's are done with F1 and will try to make him a star in IRL. But Id love to see Speed and Andretti on the grid on the same all american team. Has that ever happened?

 

Your right, His wife (whom he dumped) was an embarasment to all of the USA, hell she was a gold digger, (who was his sitter when he was younger) who was more interested in her ugly fu**ing sun glasses and embarrasing her husband on the world stage than him being the F1 driver he should have/could have been. What a waste of tallent and being from the home town, nobody liked that bit** in the first place, low life trailer trash that she was/is...