Andretti Global facts for kids

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Andretti Global
Career

Owner(s)	TWG Motorsports Michael Andretti
Principal(s)	Dan Towriss (CEO) Rob Edwards (COO) Jill Gregory (president)
Base	8278 Georgetown Road Indianapolis, Indiana 46268
Series	IndyCar Series Indy NXT Formula E Supercars Championship SuperCopa
Race drivers	IndyCar Series 26. Will Power 27. Kyle Kirkwood 28. Marcus Ericsson Indy NXT 26. Lochie Hughes 27. Sebastian Murray 28. Max Taylor 29. Josh Pierson Formula E 27. Jake Dennis 28. Felipe Drugovich Supercars Championship 1. Chaz Mostert 2. Ryan Wood SuperCopa 9. Michel Jourdain Jr.
Opened	1993
Drivers' Championships	Total: 20 CART: 1 1995 IndyCar: 4 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 Indy Lights: 7 2008, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025 Indy Pro 2000: 1 2013 USF2000: 1 2010 Americas Rallycross: 2 2018, 2019 Global RallyCross: 3 2015, 2016, 2017 Formula E: 1 2022–23
Indy 500 victories	6 (1995, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017)

Andretti Global is a famous American motorsports group that builds fast race cars. The team competes in big open-wheel events like the IndyCar Series and Indy NXT. They also race in electric events known as Formula E, sports car races in IMSA, and touring contests in the Australian Supercars Championship. Its parent group, TWG Motorsports, even partnered with General Motors to create the Cadillac Formula One Team.

Members of Andretti Green Racing meet on pit lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The organization was created in 1993 by Barry Green and Gerald Forsythe under the name Forsythe Green Racing. It started by running open-wheel machines in the CART championship. Green and his brother Kim Green took total control of the squad in 1995, calling it Team Green. Former driving champion Michael Andretti bought a big share in 2002. It was renamed Andretti Green Racing and joined the Indy Racing League.

In 2009, Michael gained sole ownership, changing the banner to Andretti Autosport. Later in 2023, the group changed its name to Andretti Global while chasing a spot in Formula One. Business executive Dan Towriss became a co-owner, and in 2024 sports leader Mark Walter joined through TWG Global. The squad has won the world-famous Indianapolis 500 six times. They have also captured multiple championships across several different racing leagues around the world.

History of American Open-Wheel Racing
Electric Racing: Formula E
Other Racing Series
The Quest for Formula One
Indianapolis 500 Victories
Notable Drivers
Images for kids
See also

History of American Open-Wheel Racing

Starting Out in CART

The squad began racing operations back in 1993 through Barry Green and partner Gerald Forsythe. Forsythe had previously managed his own garage called Forsythe Racing. Their new outfit entered two cars in the smaller Atlantic Championship ladder series. The squad hired Canadian drivers Claude Bourbonnais and young talent Jacques Villeneuve.

In the 1994 CART season, the team stepped up to top-level open-wheel cars. Villeneuve drove a single car powered by a Ford XB V8 engine. He scored ten top-ten finishes across sixteen races. Villeneuve took a second-place finish at the legendary 1994 Indianapolis 500. Later that summer, he earned his first victory at Road America. He ended the year sixth in the point standings and won the IndyCar Rookie of the Year award.

By 1995, Barry Green took full charge of the outfit and renamed it Team Green. Barry brought in his brother Kim Green to serve as team manager. Together, they enjoyed a historic run in the 1995 season with driver Jacques Villeneuve. Villeneuve won the season-opening race at the Miami street track. He then won the 1995 Indianapolis 500 after driving past the competition.

Villeneuve also won races at Road America and the Cleveland airport runway circuit. He secured the season trophy at the final race at Laguna Seca with 172 points. He beat rival Al Unser Jr. driving for Team Penske. Villeneuve then left the group to race abroad in Formula One.

In 1996, the team took the temporary name Brahma Sports Team, hiring Brazilian racer Raul Boesel. In the 1997 season, American Parker Johnstone drove the car with new sponsor KOOL. The group became known everywhere as Team KOOL Green.

The team expanded into a two-car powerhouse during the 1998 season. They hired aggressive Canadian star Paul Tracy alongside Scottish talent Dario Franchitti. Franchitti won three races that season, including events at Road America, Vancouver, and Houston. He finished the season third in overall points. Tracy and Franchitti remained teammates for five exciting years.

During the 1999 season, Franchitti fought hard for the championship against Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Franchitti won races at Toronto, Detroit, and Surfers Paradise in Australia. Tracy also won two events, taking victories at the Milwaukee Mile and Houston. Franchitti finished tied on points for first place, ultimately taking second in the standings.

In the 2000 season, Paul Tracy won three races, including the famous Grand Prix of Long Beach. The team raced the fast Reynard chassis with powerful Honda engines. Tracy finished fifth in the championship, while Franchitti placed thirteenth.

For the 2001 season, veteran star Michael Andretti joined the garage. Kim Green managed his car under the separate banner named Team Motorola. In addition to regular CART races, Andretti entered the 2001 Indianapolis 500. This marked the team's first return to Indy in five years due to an open-wheel rules split. Andretti scored a strong third-place finish at Indianapolis.

The team moved to Lola race cars during the 2002 season. Michael Andretti captured his final career win as a driver at the Long Beach Grand Prix. Dario Franchitti collected three wins, finishing fourth in the final point standings. Tracy took a victory at the Milwaukee Mile and finished eleventh.

The squad also returned to the 2002 Indianapolis 500 with Tracy, Franchitti, and Andretti. Tracy came within inches of winning the race, finishing a disputed second place behind Helio Castroneves. The team filed a formal protest over the finish rules, but racing officials upheld the original result.

Moving to the IndyCar Series

Teammates Tony Kanaan and Dario Franchitti talk before the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

Michael Andretti bought a major ownership share of the team following the 2002 season. He moved the entire operation to the rival Indy Racing League for the 2003 season. The team was officially renamed Andretti Green Racing. Tracy chose to stay in Champ Car, so Brazilian racer Tony Kanaan was hired to join Franchitti and Andretti.

Michael retired from full-time racing after driving in the 2003 Indianapolis 500. Young English racer Dan Wheldon was hired to take over Andretti's car. Kanaan earned a win at Phoenix and placed fourth in the championship. Meanwhile, Bryan Herta filled in for an injured Franchitti, winning a race at Kansas Speedway.

In 2004, the team expanded to four full-time cars by signing Bryan Herta permanently. That year was one of the greatest team performances in motorsport history. Tony Kanaan won three races and completed every single racing lap of the entire season. Kanaan won the 2004 IndyCar championship, while teammate Dan Wheldon finished second. Franchitti finished sixth and Herta took ninth.

The winning streak continued during the 2005 season. At the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the team made history when Wheldon, Kanaan, Franchitti, and Herta finished in the top four spots. Dan Wheldon had a dominant year, winning six races including the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Wheldon brought home the 2005 series championship for Andretti Green Racing.

Wheldon left the squad in 2006 to join Chip Ganassi Racing. Michael's nineteen-year-old son, Marco Andretti, took over the empty seat. Michael came out of retirement to race alongside his son at the 2006 Indianapolis 500. In a thrilling finish, Marco finished second after being passed right at the finish line by Sam Hornish Jr.. Michael finished directly behind his son in third place.

Late in 2006, the team announced that popular racer Danica Patrick would join their IndyCar lineup for the 2007 season. Bryan Herta moved over to the team's new sports car program. The 2007 campaign proved spectacular for Dario Franchitti. Franchitti won the rain-shortened 2007 Indianapolis 500 and claimed the season championship.

Franchitti left for stock car racing at the end of 2007. Japanese driver Hideki Mutoh replaced him in the number 27 machine for 2008. That season, Danica Patrick made history at the Twin Ring Motegi oval in Japan. She became the first woman to win a major closed-course open-wheel race. Kanaan placed third in points with a victory at Richmond.

The team kept its four drivers for the 2009 season. However, they failed to win an IndyCar race for the first time in six seasons. Patrick was the top-performing driver for the organization, finishing fifth in points. In the junior ranks, American racer J. R. Hildebrand captured the Indy Lights title for the team.

At the end of 2009, Michael Andretti took complete control of the company from the Green brothers. The team was officially renamed Andretti Autosport heading into the new decade.

The Andretti Autosport Years

For the 2010 season, Ryan Hunter-Reay joined the team to replace Mutoh. Hunter-Reay broke the team's dry spell by winning the prestigious Long Beach Grand Prix. Tony Kanaan also won a race at Iowa. The squad fought hard through financial challenges, with Kanaan generously helping keep Hunter-Reay in his seat.

In the 2011 season, Mike Conway won at Long Beach, Marco Andretti won at Iowa, and Hunter-Reay triumphed at New Hampshire. At the 2011 Indianapolis 500, Hunter-Reay surprisingly missed the starting field. Team owner Michael bought the spot of qualified driver Bruno Junqueira from A. J. Foyt Enterprises so Hunter-Reay could race. Danica Patrick left at the end of the year to race full-time in NASCAR. Former champion Dan Wheldon was set to rejoin the team for 2012, but he tragically died in a crash at the 2011 season finale in Las Vegas.

Canadian fan-favorite James Hinchcliffe took over the team's third car for the 2012 season. The series introduced a new car, the Dallara DW12, and the team switched from Honda engines to twin-turbo Chevrolet power. Ryan Hunter-Reay went on a massive hot streak, winning three races in a row at Milwaukee, Iowa, and Toronto. He won again at Baltimore to challenge championship leader Will Power.

The title was decided at the season finale at Auto Club Speedway in California. Power spun out early in the race, giving Hunter-Reay an opening. Hunter-Reay drove carefully to finish in fourth place. That result earned him the 2012 IndyCar championship by just three points.

In 2013, Hinchcliffe opened the year with a win at St. Petersburg and won two more races. Hunter-Reay won at Barber and Milwaukee. Young Colombian driver Carlos Muñoz made a surprise start at the 2013 Indianapolis 500, finishing second in his first IndyCar race ever. The team also competed in ladder series like the Pro Mazda Championship and the U.S. F2000 National Championship.

The team reunited with Honda power for the 2014 season. Muñoz joined full-time, and NASCAR champion Kurt Busch joined the team for the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Busch drove in Indy and then flew to North Carolina to compete in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. Hunter-Reay won the Indy 500 that year after an unforgettable battle with Helio Castroneves.

In 2015, Carlos Muñoz won his first career IndyCar race during rainy conditions in Detroit. Hunter-Reay added two late victories at Iowa and Pocono. The season was saddened by the loss of popular English teammate Justin Wilson, who suffered fatal injuries during a race at Pocono.

Andretti Global race transporters parked in the paddock area.

The team achieved a shocking triumph at the 100th running of the 2016 Indianapolis 500. American rookie Alexander Rossi used clever fuel management to coast across the finish line on empty tanks to win the historic race. In the 2017 Indy 500, Japanese driver Takuma Sato held off Castroneves to claim victory for the team. Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso also drove for the team at Indy that May.

Alexander Rossi blossomed into a title contender during the 2018 season. Rossi won three races, including Long Beach and Mid-Ohio, finishing second in the championship standings. Hunter-Reay won two races to place fourth overall. In the lower ranks, Mexican racer Patricio O'Ward captured the 2018 Indy Lights championship for the team.

Rossi won two more races in 2019 and placed third in points. That same year, rookie sensation Colton Herta began turning heads in an affiliated car. Herta joined the primary Andretti lineup and won races over the following years, including the 2021 races at St. Petersburg, Laguna Seca, and Long Beach.

Young American star Kyle Kirkwood joined the team for the 2023 season. Kirkwood earned his first IndyCar victories with wins at Long Beach and Nashville. In late 2023, the team rebranded as Andretti Global. By the 2026 racing season, seasoned champion Will Power joined the organization alongside Kirkwood and Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson.

Electric Racing: Formula E

Jake Dennis celebrates winning the Formula E World Championship.

Andretti Global was an early believer in green racing technology. They entered the all-electric FIA Formula E World Championship for its first season in 2014. The races take place on temporary street tracks inside major world cities using fast battery-powered cars.

In early seasons, the team fielded talented drivers including Jean-Éric Vergne, Scott Speed, Robin Frijns, and António Félix da Costa. German carmaker BMW joined as a technical partner, officially entering as a full works partner for the 2018–19 season. Da Costa scored an opening-round win in Saudi Arabia that season. Driver Maximilian Günther later scored exciting victories in Santiago and Berlin.

English driver Jake Dennis joined the team for the 2020–21 season. Dennis proved to be an instant star, winning two races as a rookie and finishing third in the championship. Dennis remained the team's lead driver as BMW left the series, and the team partnered with Porsche to supply electric motors.

Dennis had an unforgettable year during the 2022–23 season driving the new Gen3 electric car. He opened the season with a win in Mexico City and drove to eleven podium finishes across sixteen rounds. At the season finale in London, Dennis won the FIA Formula E World Drivers' Championship. It was the first world championship in an FIA single-seater series for an American team since 1978. Dennis was later joined by teammates including Nico Müller and Brazilian driver Felipe Drugovich.

Other Racing Series

Australian Supercars

In 2018, Andretti Autosport joined the world of touring car racing in Australia. They bought a major ownership share in the successful Walkinshaw Andretti United team. The team competes in the Supercars Championship using powerful production-based race cars. Leading drivers like Chaz Mostert and Ryan Wood have driven these cars to victories at legendary tracks like Mount Panorama in the Bathurst 1000.

Extreme E Electric Off-Road

In 2021, Andretti entered the Extreme E championship alongside United Autosports. Extreme E was an off-road electric racing series designed to raise awareness about climate change. Teams raced high-riding electric SUVs in remote places like Arctic glaciers, desert sands, and ocean shores. Drivers Catie Munnings and Timmy Hansen drove for the squad, winning the 2021 Arctic X-Prix in Greenland.

Sports Cars and Feeder Series

The team's Acura ARX-01 prototype sports car on track.

The organization has also had success in sports car endurance racing. From 2007 to 2008, Andretti Green Racing ran an Acura ARX-01 prototype in the American Le Mans Series. Drivers like Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, and Bryan Herta drove the machine to class wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring and Detroit. The team later returned to sports car racing in the modern IMSA championship.

The team has always focused on training the next generation of racers. They have captured numerous titles in junior open-wheel series like Indy Lights (now Indy NXT), the Pro Mazda Championship, and the U.S. F2000 National Championship. Young drivers like Sage Karam, Zach Veach, Matthew Brabham, and Oliver Askew all won championships while learning their craft with the Andretti program.

The team also operated an exciting rallycross program from 2014 to 2019. Partnering with Volkswagen, they built custom turbo-charged Beetles for the Global RallyCross Championship and Americas Rallycross Championship. Drivers Scott Speed and Tanner Foust dominated the sport, winning five straight league championships between them.

The Quest for Formula One

Because the Andretti family has deep roots in Formula One, Michael Andretti spent years trying to enter the sport as a team owner. Michael's father, Mario Andretti, won the 1978 Formula One World Championship. In 2022, Michael filed paperwork with the motorsport governing body, the FIA, to launch an all-new team.

Andretti partnered with American automotive giant General Motors to bring the luxury Cadillac brand into Formula One. The plan involved building state-of-the-art facilities in Indiana and England. After new investment from TWG Global led by businessman Mark Walter, the FIA officially approved the partnership to join the Formula One world grid for the 2026 racing season.

Indianapolis 500 Victories

The Indianapolis 500 is one of the most famous car races in the world. Andretti Global has won this historic 500-mile race six times:

1995: Won by Jacques Villeneuve in a Reynard-Ford. Villeneuve overcame an early two-lap penalty to drive back through the pack and win.
2005: Won by Dan Wheldon in a Dallara-Honda. Wheldon took the lead late in the race to earn his first Indy victory.
2007: Won by Dario Franchitti in a Dallara-Honda. The race was stopped early due to heavy rain.
2014: Won by Ryan Hunter-Reay in a Dallara-Honda. Hunter-Reay made a daring pass with just laps remaining to win by a fraction of a second.
2016: Won by rookie Alexander Rossi in a Dallara-Honda. Rossi stretched his final fuel load to cross the line as his engine ran dry.
2017: Won by Takuma Sato in a Dallara-Honda. Sato became the first Japanese driver to win the legendary race.

Notable Drivers

Many famous drivers have driven for the team over its long history:

Michael Andretti – Team founder, 1991 CART champion, and one of the most successful drivers in American history.
Jacques Villeneuve – Won the 1995 Indy 500 and CART championship before moving to Formula One.
Paul Tracy – Fan-favorite Canadian driver who won many races for Team Green.
Dario Franchitti – Won three championships and the 2007 Indy 500 with the squad.
Tony Kanaan – The popular Brazilian racer who won the 2004 IndyCar championship.
Dan Wheldon – Champion driver who won the 2005 Indy 500 and series title.
Danica Patrick – Groundbreaking racer who became the first female winner in IndyCar history.
Marco Andretti – Michael's son who scored multiple podiums and won races in IndyCar.
Ryan Hunter-Reay – Won the 2012 IndyCar championship and 2014 Indy 500.
James Hinchcliffe – Beloved Canadian racer who won multiple races in the number 27 car.
Alexander Rossi – Won the historic 100th Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2016.
Takuma Sato – Fast Japanese racer who won the 2017 Indianapolis 500.
Colton Herta – Young star who became the youngest race winner in IndyCar history.
Kyle Kirkwood – Talented young American winner on road and street tracks.
Jake Dennis – English driver who won the 2022–23 Formula E World Championship.