Mario Andretti (Italy; 1940) is one of those authoritative voices within the F1 paddock that must always be listened to carefully. Born in Motovun – Italian city that, after World War II, passed into the hands of Yugoslavia and currently belongs to Croatia – He emigrated with his family to the United States in 1948.where years later he became one of the great stars of North American motorsports. Three-time USAC National Champion (forerunner of IndyCar), champion of the CART IndyCar World Series, F1 World Champion in 1978 with Lotus and only driver to win the big circus next to the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500.
His relationship with Spain is close since Fernando Alonso disputed the Indy500 in his son Michael’s team in 2017. Of the Asturian assures that “he continues to have the wood of a champion”, while qualifying Sainz as “a number 1”, in addition to declaring himself “a fan of Marc Márquez”. The American attends Ace just over a month before the 2022 season begins.
—How do you rate the last F1 season and the rivalry between Hamilton and Verstappen?
-First of all, I think it’s great news to have a situation like this, this rivalry is healthy for the championship. I think there are a lot of opinions about the last race, but you have to consider that in sport anything can happen and nothing can be predicted, like an accident with six laps to go. My opinion is that there was a crash six laps to go in the race and the track should have been clean in two and when Masi realized he was coming to the end he did what he had to do so the race didn’t end under a safety car, which is correct. Abu Dhabi was the biggest race of the season and finishing under the safety car It would have been a complete disaster. The strategy played a very important factor. My view is that when the green flag came out Hamilton was quite quick, but coming into Turn 4 Verstappen was very close and Hamilton left the door open, I think he could have done more. Max was on new tyres, of course, but the Mercedes was still stronger. The race was exciting, Verstappen was a deserved champion, the season was incredible and the rivalry has been tremendously good for the sport.
—F1 will experience a profound regulatory change this season, do you think it will change the order of the grid seen since the beginning of the hybrid era in 2014?
—It is difficult to know what will happen next year, because the rules change and we do not know how the different teams will adapt. There are a lot of question marks and that’s exciting. Will Mercedes continue to be the dominant team? Will Ferrari, Alpine, McLaren… be up there? I am really looking forward to the first race and the first test.
—What do you think of the return of Fernando Alonso after two years away from the ‘Great Circus’?
“I admire him, I really do. Coming back as she did, after being away for two years, is incredible. Fernando Alonso has fire inside his helmet. He’s back, but it seems like he never left. It’s very exciting for me to see him because, as you know, I had the opportunity to have him when he was in Indianapolis racing for my son. We spent a lot of time together and I was able to really appreciate the person. He doesn’t look at age, he just goes forward. If he had a competitive car he would still win in Formula 1, there is no question about that.
“If Alonso had a competitive car he would continue to win in F1, there is no doubt”
Mario Andretti
—Do you trust a return of Fernando Alonso to Indianapolis?
—Perhaps when he finishes with his return to F1, I think he still has that desire to try again. But he has to do it with the right car, one that allows him to win. I remember that, when he came for the first time with my son Michael’s team, I had the opportunity to see him in his first test. Marco, my grandson, did the setup of the car, he left everything ready for Alonso to have the necessary confidence, because it is essential in a high-speed circuit like an oval. Fernando knew that he had a great, competitive car, and he worked very hard. The luck of Indianapolis is that you can shoot a lot before qualifying, you have a whole week. I remember that he did a lot of laps, he trained with the simulator since morning. I remember one day we were having dinner and he said: “I have to go back, tomorrow I have a simulator at seven in the morning”. He is very conscientious, he works really hard, with his mind always on winning. He was very competitive in the race and came close to winning, it’s the mark of the champion. I admire him for that. I want him to return to Indy, but first to complete his objectives on his return to F1. I think, in my opinion, that he still has the makings of a champion.
—If Alonso decided to return to the Indy 500, would Andretti Autosport be willing to offer him a seat?
-Yes of course. Fernando has a great friendship with my son Michael and if he hasn’t returned to Indy with us it was because of Honda, which was our engine supplier. That is why he decided to go to Indianapolis with McLaren, which had a Chevrolet engine. It would have gone much better with Michael because he has a very strong engineering team with experience. I think that if Alonso wants to come back, Michael will welcome him with open arms.
—Recently Andretti was linked to the purchase of Alfa Romeo, is the idea of entering F1 still standing?
—It’s Michael’s project, I’ve helped from outside, but it’s his project. Michael has been working very hard to get into F1 and hasn’t given up on the idea. It is one of his great goals and, although it has not been possible now, he is not going to give up.
“I think Carlos (Sainz) has made Leclerc very nervous”
Mario Andretti
—What sensations has Sainz transmitted to you in his first season with Ferrari?
—He has been finding himself more comfortable as the season progressed. His results support it. Ferrari has two number 1 drivers. It will be a great challenge for both of them and for the team. I think Carlos has made Leclerc very nervous (laughs), because he is much stronger than he expected. I’m happy for that. I had the chance to talk to him once and he told me how happy he was at Ferrari. I hope they can give him a good car so that Ferrari can get back to winning ways. Carlos has shown that he can win races. This is the beauty of F1, there are a lot of great talents out there now, you just need the right machine. Carlos is becoming more and more of a great driver and I think he is comfortable at Ferrari.
—Let’s go with the IndyCar champion, has Álex Palou surprised you?
“You’ve surprised everyone. He has been in one of the best teams, close to Scott Dixon, which he will have learned from, with a great package… When he arrived, I thought “ok, let’s see what this young man can do” and he was immediately strong, he adapted very well to the ovals, he started winning and everyone was like, “Wow! Maybe he was lucky.” But no, he’s very good. The key in IndyCar is that you have to know how to drive everywhere: road courses, super-speedway, oval, short oval… You have to have a lot of versatility and I think the IndyCar champion, in our sport, is the most complete of all. What he has achieved is incredible and I think he has earned the respect of the rest. He was from the first moment competing against the best and he made the cut.
“Marc Márquez, that’s my boy. I’m going to buy him and make my son”
Mario Andretti
—You told me before about your admiration for the Spanish pilots…
—I am a great, great fan of Spanish riders, especially Marc Márquez. That’s my Boy. I’m going to buy it and make my son (laughs). He is a phenomenon, he is incredible. He has developed a new way of riding a motorcycle and he is a rider who does not ride 100%, but 110%. I hope he doesn’t get injured again because it’s a pleasure to see him, I love it. I love the spirit of him. He has participated in the tests, so he should be fine for next season.
—This year there will be two races in the US, where the love for F1 is growing a lot, among other things, thanks to the Netflix series ‘Drive to Survive’. How do you rate it?
—Netflix has contributed to the growth of F1 in the US, especially among young people, because unlike what you think in Europe, F1 was also followed in the US before. It has a very loyal fan base. Austin is a great circuit and Miami will be. I love F1, as you can imagine, and I am looking forward to seeing these two races in my country. A lot of money has been invested in Miami and I am sure it will be a great event.
—Thank you very much, and we both hope to enjoy the success of the Spaniards this season.
-It has been a pleasure. Spain is very well represented. You are very lucky. I don’t know what you drink there, but it must be good.
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