Michael Andretti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Andretti
Andretti at Road America in 2024
Born	Michael Mario Andretti (1962-10-05) October 5, 1962 (age 62) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Championship titles
CART Championship Car (1991) Major victories Long Beach Grand Prix (1986, 2002) Michigan 500 (1987, 1989)
Champ Car career
309 races run over 19 years
Best finish	1st (1991)
First race	1983 Caesars Palace Grand Prix (Caesars Palace)
Last race	2002 Gran Premio Telmex-Gigante (Mexico City)
First win	1986 Long Beach Grand Prix (Long Beach)
Last win	2002 Long Beach Grand Prix (Long Beach)
Wins Podiums Poles 42 98 32
IndyCar Series career
8 races run over 5 years
Best finish	24th (2003, 2006)
First race	2001 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	2007 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 2 0
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1993
Teams	McLaren
Entries	13
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Career points	7
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1993 South African Grand Prix
Last entry	1993 Italian Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1982–1983, 1988, 1997
Teams	Grand Touring, Porsche-Kremer, Porsche AG, Courage
Best finish	3rd (1983)
Class wins	0

Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962) is a famous American former racing driver who is now a racing team owner. He is known as one of the best drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing. Open-wheel cars are special race cars where the wheels are outside the car's main body.

Andretti won the 1991 CART championship and had 42 race victories, which is the most in the CART era. After he stopped racing, he became the owner of Andretti Autosport. His team has won four IndyCar Series championships and five Indianapolis 500 races.

He is the son of the legendary racing champion Mario Andretti. His own son, Marco Andretti, is also an IndyCar driver.

Early Life and Family

Michael Andretti was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. His father, Mario Andretti, was a world-famous race car driver who won championships in both IndyCar and Formula One. Racing was a big part of Michael's family. His brother, uncle, and cousins were also race car drivers.

The Andretti family is the first to have five family members race in the same series (CART/Champ Car/IndyCar). These members were Michael, his father Mario, his son Marco, his brother Jeff, and his cousin John.

Andretti went to Nazareth Area High School in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Racing Career

Getting Started

Andretti started his racing career with karts. He was very good, winning 50 of his 75 races. In 1981, he won the SCCA Northeast Division Formula Ford championship. The next year, he won the Formula Super Vee Championship.

He also raced in sports car events. In 1983, he raced in the famous 1983 24 Hours of Le Mans race with his father. They finished in third place. This was a great start to his professional career.

CART Series Success

Andretti's first race-winning IndyCar. It is now in the National Motor Museum in England.

Andretti started racing in the CART series in 1983. In his first Indianapolis 500 in 1984, he finished fifth and was named Rookie of the Year. He won his first IndyCar race in 1986 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

For many years, he had exciting battles for the championship, often with driver Bobby Rahal. In one famous race in 1986, Andretti was leading on the last lap when his car ran out of fuel. This allowed his father, Mario, to win the race by a tiny bit.

In 1989, he joined Newman/Haas Racing and became his father's teammate. They were the first father and son to start a race on the front row together.

Championship Win and Formula One

Andretti racing in Monterey, California, in October 1991.

The high point of Andretti's CART career was in 1991. He won the CART championship by winning eight of the 17 races. He was a dominant driver all season.

In 1992, he finished second in the championship, losing to Bobby Rahal by only four points. After that season, he decided to try Formula One (F1), the top level of international racing.

A Tough Year in Formula One

Andretti driving for McLaren at the 1993 European Grand Prix.

In 1993, Andretti raced in Formula One for the McLaren team. His teammate was the legendary Ayrton Senna. It was a difficult year for Andretti. He was not used to the F1 cars, which had advanced technology like active suspension.

New rules also limited practice time, making it hard for him to learn the new tracks. He had several crashes early in the season. His best result was a third-place finish at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix. After that race, he decided to leave F1 and return to America.

Return to CART

The Andretti family's Porsche 962C race car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988.

Andretti returned to IndyCar racing in 1994 and was immediately successful. He won his very first race back in the series in Australia. He continued to be a top driver for many years.

He won many more races, including a record seven wins at the Toronto street circuit. His last career victory came in 2002 at the Grand Prix of Long Beach. He retired with 42 career wins, placing him among the most successful drivers in the sport's history.

The "Andretti Curse" at Indianapolis

Despite all his success, Andretti never won the famous Indianapolis 500 as a driver. His family's bad luck at this race is known as the "Andretti curse."

He came very close to winning several times. In 1991, he finished second after a thrilling battle with Rick Mears. In 1992, he dominated the race and was leading by two laps, but his car's fuel pump failed with only 11 laps to go. He holds the record for leading the most laps in the Indy 500 (431 laps) without ever winning it.

Team Owner and Semi-Retirement

Andretti practicing for the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

In 2003, Andretti bought the racing team he was driving for, which became Andretti Green Racing (now Andretti Autosport). He retired from full-time racing after the 2003 Indianapolis 500.

As a team owner, Andretti has been very successful. His team won back-to-back IndyCar Series championships in 2004 and 2005. His drivers have also won the Indianapolis 500 five times.

Andretti returned to drive in the Indy 500 a few more times. In 2006, he raced alongside his son, Marco. He finished third, just behind Marco who finished second. Andretti's last race as a driver was the 2007 Indianapolis 500.

In recent years, Andretti has tried to start a Formula One team called "Andretti Global." In 2024, Formula One decided not to let his team join yet, but they might be able to join in 2028.

Personal Life

Andretti has been married three times. He has a son, Marco, who is also a race car driver, and a daughter, Marissa, from his first marriage. He has another son, Lucca, from his second marriage.

In 2006, he married model and actress Jodi Ann Paterson. They have twin children, Mario and Miati, who were born in 2014. The family lives in Indiana.

Awards and Honors

Michael Andretti has received many awards for his contributions to motorsports. He has been inducted into several halls of fame, including:

• National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame (2002)
• Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008)
• Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame (2012)
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame (2012)

Images for kids

• 

  Michael and Mario's 1989 Porsche 962, driven in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

• 

  Andretti at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Andretti para niños

• Michael Andretti's World GP, a video game that licensed his name