Michael Andretti

Michael Andretti

Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	American
Active years	1993
Teams	McLaren
Entries	13
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1993 South African Grand Prix
Last entry	1993 Italian Grand Prix

Michael Mario Andretti (born October 5, 1962 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional racing driver who now runs the Andretti Green Racing team in the Indy Racing League. He is the son of Mario Andretti, one of the most recognizable autoracing drivers of all time.

Michael Andretti started his racing career at the wheel of a 1980 Formula Ford. In 1982, he won six of the 11 Super Vee races and went on to win the championship. ^[1] After that, he went into Formula Atlantic, where he won the Formula Atlantic Championship. During that same year, he made his CART debut and also finished third in the Le Mans 24 Hours. In 1984, he won the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award. He went on to win his first IndyCar race in 1986, finishing as championship runner-up that year and the next year he took his sole CART IndyCar World Series (now the Champ Car World Series) Championship in 1991.

As a driver, he is remembered for being unlucky at the Indianapolis 500. In 1991, he led with twelve laps remaining, but finished second to Rick Mears. In 1992, he dominated the race but with eleven laps to go, his fuel pump failed, and his car coasted to a stop. He wound up in 13th place. He also dropped out while leading the Indy 500 in 1989 and 1995.

He joined the McLaren Formula 1 team for 1993, alongside the great Ayrton Senna, but was not a success. A string of collisions meant that he only completed three laps in his first three races, and he never fully got up to speed in Formula 1 cars. He commuted to races and test sessions from the U.S., which many feel contributed to his downfall. His third place at Monza was perceived as too little, too late, and he mutually agreed to leave the team and the championship.

After McLaren replaced Andretti with Finnish ace Mika Häkkinen, Andretti returned to the CART series, where he proved very successful, finishing as runner-up in 1996. In 2003, he began running his own Indy Racing League team, known as Andretti Green Racing, having bought into the "Team Green" squad Kim Green ran with his brother Barry Green, and moved it from the Champ Car World Series.

In 2004, Tony Kanann won the 2004 IndyCar Series Championship for Andretti Green Racing. In 2005, Dan Wheldon won the 2005 Indianapolis 500, and the 2005 IndyCar Series Championship. Michael Andretti returned to the driver's seat for the 2006 Indianapolis 500 in an one-off effort to assist the development of his son, Marco, an IRL rookie in 2006. Michael led the race with four laps to go, falling to second behind his son Marco a lap later. Michael finished third, while Marco dropped to second after a last-lap pass by Sam Hornish Jr.

In July 2006, Andretti Green Racing signed Danica Patrick for the 2007 IndyCar Series.

Andretti was married to Sandra Spinozzi from November 1985 to 1996 and they had two children, son Marco (born March 13, 1987) and daughter Marissa (born October 31, 1990). He remarried on December 24, 1997, to Leslie Wood. They had a child, Lucca, born September 16, 1999. On September 7 2004, Andretti filed for divorce. On July 15 2006, Andretti announced his engagement to model, actress, and 2000 Playboy Playmate of the Year Jodi Ann Paterson. The couple were married on October 7 2006.

(key)

• Michael Andretti's World GP