Mario Andretti speaks out after new Cadillac F1 role confirmed

In 2023, when the FIA opened an expression of interest for potential Formula 1 teams, the most qualified candidate that applied was an entry from Andretti Global. Despite an initial acceptance from the FIA, Formula One Management ultimately denied the application.

Undeterred, the Andrettis stepped aside to allow Cadillac F1 to take over — a move that the FOM firmly approved of. Still, Mario Andretti has been invited to join the board of directors as an advisor. It’s a move that the?1978 F1 World Champion deeply appreciates.

Mario Andretti grateful for continued role in Formula 1

For many American motorsport fans, there is no one quite like Mario Andretti.

Born in Italy before his family was uprooted by conflict, the young racer soon made his mark on the dirt ovals of his local Pennsylvania race tracks before progressing up the ranks of the US racing ladder.

This is a driver whose skill knew no boundaries.

Though he was invited to compete in Formula 1 as early as 1968, Andretti was so successful in America that making the international jump would have been a foolhardy move.

After all, we’re talking about a man who won three IndyCar championships and one USAC Silver Crown championship before his full-time F1 career —? which isn’t taking into account his victories at iconic races like the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.

When he made the decision to go full-time in F1, he did so with an American team, Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing.

But when that didn’t quite work out, well, Andretti had left such a deep impression on Team Lotus boss Colin Chapman that there was somewhere for him to land.

More on Cadillac F1:

??Cadillac F1: Everything you need to know about the new 11th team

??Revealed: The six-stage Cadillac F1 blueprint ahead of huge 2026 entry

For many racing fans in the States, F1’s rejection of Andretti Global cut deep. The ultimate acceptance of Cadillac eased some of that frustration, though, as did the announcement that Mario Andretti still had a place on the team.

In an exclusive conversation with PlanetF1.com, Mario Andretti expressed his gratitude for the fact that he’s still so intimately involved in the sport of Formula 1, nearly six decades after his Grand Prix debut in 1968.

“That’s the beautiful thing, that I have a reason to stay involved and feel like I have a home there,” he said of F1.

However, Andretti is grateful to still be so active in racing, regardless of where he’s doing it. That comes down to the ongoing efforts of his son Michael, and of his grandson Marco.

“A lot of it started with Michael becoming a team owner,” Andretti explained to PlanetF1.com, “otherwise I wouldn’t have had a home at all these different disciplines.

“This sport is still our life.”

Andretti admitted that he never personally had any dreams of becoming a team owner, and that his focus has primarily been on the driving.

With his son Michael leading the charge, however, Andretti has been able to stay active as a driver coach.

“Michael is stepping aside a little bit, trying to enjoy life in a different way,” Andretti explained.

“But I still like to have involvement, and when I was invited to still be with the Cadillac team and have some say about drivers and all that — that’s what interests me more than anything.”

Read next:?Cadillac F1 makes first step to full-works status with key power unit hire